The Darkside of Star Fox Part 2: Seething Betrayal
by SmashFan2005
Summary: Sequel to The Great Sauria War. Star Fox and Star Wolf are about to face the greatest threats of their careers. New villains are rising, Old foes are coming out of their graves. Will they be able to stop the upcoming darkness or will they be destroyed?
1. Prologue: 6 Months After Part 1

Well, here it is. Part two to The Darkside of Star Fox has finally arrived. The title, Seething Betrayal, was chosen a long time ago. It is the name of my original Star Fox fic that I wrote almost six years ago now. It's being completely rewritten as you read this.

This story follows Star Fox and Star Wolf, As they discover new threats that arise within the Lylat System and in the lawless Strattus System. New, powerful villains will arise, and both teams will be pushed to their breaking point. Inspite of all this, there is an even greater threat... one that could destroy them from the inside out. Will they be able to save the Lylat system? Or will it finally be consumed by the darkness that is growing?

I hope that everyone enjoys this fic as much as Part 1, more so I hope.

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**Prologue: Six Months After The Great Sauria War**

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It's a beautiful summer day on Corneria. The golden Lylat sun is shining brightly, reflecting off of the crystal clear seas as far as the eye can see. There is a modestly sized group of people on the outskirts of Corneria City. Various forms of wildlife can be heard throughout the awe-inspiring oasis. But this is not a happy day for the spectators that are gathering here.

Three days ago, the last in a series of bombs destroyed a Cornerian laboratory, killing almost five hundred people in its massive explosion. It was Gatorbile's last attempt to get a new war started between Corneria and the last of Scales' alliances. Thanks to the efforts of Fox and his team however, he was captured the next day and sentenced to life in prison. Thus his scheme was thwarted once and for all, saving Corneria in the process. The general public was devastated by these heartbreaking blows. Countless husbands, wives, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles and other acquaintances were lost forever.

One of the victims of the most recent attack was very close to the Star Fox team, and today is his funeral. It is being held in a beautiful park, filled with oak and cedar trees that give shade to onlookers. Redberry bushes that are a refreshing snack to most creatures who admire them. Every kind of flower that you could imagine also adorns the ground with a tremendous blend of coloring and keeps the air smelling soft and satisfying. It also has a river flowing through the middle it, creating a soothing natural symphony. On one side of the park is a playground, on the other, a cemetery. Yes it is truly a beautiful site if only one would just take the time to admire it.

About two hundred people have shown up to show their respects to the deceased. Friends, family, apprentices and acquaintances...

Star Fox, along with his teammates and his girlfriend are sitting in the front row of the seats, they have been set up so that there's just one aisle is down the middle. Almost all of the seats are occupied, except for a few scattered ones in the back row. A silvery-metallic coffin lies in front of them, the name of their dear friend is being displayed on a hologram.

Fox is wearing a black tuxedo with white dress shirt and a black tie that he recently bought. He paid over two grand for it, but it was worth it in his mind. His mind begins to wander as he continues to glance at a worn out Star Fox badge that he's holding in his left hand. He's admiring the detail in the craftsmanship of the wings, the once silver metal has tarnished and it's covered with small dents. As he peers at it, he's remembering all the times that he and the previous owner had together, both good and ill.

"_Do a barrel roll!_"

"_Never give up!_"

"_Trust your instincts!_"

A tear flows out of his right eye as he continues to hear his old friend speak inside his heart. His mind suddenly snaps back to reality as he begins to hear the spokesperson at the funeral.

"Now, we shall have members of Star Fox come up to tell us their fondest memories of this brilliant man," The speaker says with eagerness.

Everyone's gaze turns to face Falco. He's wearing a black, hand-woven suit with a blue shirt and dark bow-tie. He paid roughly five hundred credits for the set three years ago but he never thought he'd have to wear it here. As the speaker welcomes him up to the podium, he is trying to think about what to say about his dead friend, but all he can think about is the shame and guilt that he felt prior to his death.

'_Damn,_' He mutters to himself. '_If I had been more careful... maybe I could... have saved him._'

A respectful silence fills the crowd as Falco begins his short memoir.

"He..." Falco hesitates for a few seconds, "...was a good soldier. A fantastic one back in his prime actually. But even though he had a great career, it wasn't his strongest focus in life. He had the amazing ability to detect different emotions and to give advice accordingly. He always lit up everyone that he came across. I'll never forget the vacation that our team had on Fortuna shortly after the Lylat wars. It was truly the best time that our team had together. Back when everything was perfectly normal..."

His voice starts to tremble as he nears the end of his speech. "He tried to guide me through my life so many times. However I rarely listened to his kind advice. I am so sorry for that. I know that he would forgive me if he was standing amongst us today. That's just the type of person he was, warm and affectionate."

A tear comes out of his right eye but he quickly wipes it away, anxious to conceal it. Afterwards, he steps down from the raised platform and sits in between Fox and Slippy.

Slippy is wearing a white suit, with a white shirt and tie. He forgot that he was supposed to wear black, thus he's standing from the rest of the crowd like a sore thumb. As Falco sits down, He notices a troubled look on his face. But he knows better then to mention it to him in the public eye.

Slippy steps forward to say his respects. He taps the microphone lightly with his finger, creating slight feedback that causes everyone to groan lightly.

"Sorry about that," He says, coughing loudly. "Just had to make sure it was on, heh. Anyway this wise man was a close friend to all of us here. He was seemingly able to overcome every hardship that he faced. He was very kind and thoughtful towards everyone, even strangers and weirdos."

An awkward silence fills the air as Slippy continues. "Um... my fondest memory of him was when I was just a boy. It was a special day when I met him, the original Star Fox team was just formed and approved by General Pepper himself. On that day... He gave me this wrench."

He pulls a shiny tool out of his pocket and holds it up high above his head.

"We need more people like him in this galaxy." He says enthusiastically. " He gave me the strength and courage to fulfill my childhood dream, something I could never have done on my own. I'll miss him deeply, there will never be another one like him."

After his speech, he takes his seat in between Falco and Krystal, wiping several tears out of his pupils.

Krystal is glancing down at her palms in her lap. Her hair is slightly longer then it was six months ago, down to the length of her shoulders. She is holding a white rose in her hand and wearing a black dress that Fox bought for her on their first date. That seems like such a long time ago. As Slippy sits down, she closes her eyes for a second and takes a deep breath before going up to pay her respects.

"I didn't know him for nearly as long as the rest of my team members did," She speaks in a kind and dignified manner. "In the time I did know him however, I could tell that he was a very kind soul, one that was enthusiastic about life. When I first met him he showed me a sense of respect that I had never felt from a complete stranger before. He taught me how to control my hatred for my parent's untimely deaths. Without his kind and timely knowledge that he gave to me, I can honestly say that I would not be alive today. I would have screwed up my life badly, pursuing a life vengeance rather than one of justice."

She pauses for a few seconds before concluding. "He could have retired years ago, but he stuck with his us... until the very end. I will always be thankful to him, for he saved my life through words alone. His dedication and bravery will continue to live on, through me and hopefully each and everyone of you in attendance this morning."

After a light applause, she sets the white rose onto the coffin and sits down. She smiles at a new Star Fox team member, who is sitting beside Fox. He's pondering what to say. He's a dingo with golden-brown fur, a little taller then fox, but less muscular. He's young and quite haughty at times. But he's an excellent shot and has a steady hand. He's able to take out any target within five hundred meters and knows how to use a sniper rifle better than anyone else on the team.

As Krystal takes her seat, he thinks to himself. '_Why do I need to be here? I barely even knew the creepy old hag!_'

He sighs again as the applause ends. '_Well, I might as well just make a good speech and get it this over with._'

He scratches his right ear with his left hand and walks up to the shiny stage to give his presentation.

"Yeah, he was a nice fellow... most of the time." There's a slight pause of awkward silence before he continues, "I uh... hardly knew him. But I could tell ya all here that he cared about the people he served. One of the first things he said to me was, 'Diego, you must protect the ones love from anything and anyone, including those closest to you.' I'll never forget that, for those are the very words that I strive to live by. I'm sorry that he is no longer with us, truly. However I am not saddened because I know that his legacy will live on through each and everyone one of us here today. We will never forget the impact that he had on all of our lives."

There is another light applause as he sits next to Fox, smiling slightly. Fox is still nervous about talking in front of all these people, even though his speech is well prepared.

He slowly approaches the stand as he pulls a few sheets of crumpled paper from his jacket pocket. He coughs lightly as he begins.

"Peppy Hare was... by all accounts... my father's most loyal and trusted friend," He begins confidently as the whole assembly stares at him intently. "When my father died... he vowed to protect me, no matter what. He lived up to his word, he never left my side. When we were in our darkest hours, Peppy would be the one to bring us back to the light. If it wasn't for him, a lot of us wouldn't be here right now. The Apariod Invasion would have ended quite differently. He didn't serve all of us out of duty, but out of love. He truly cared about _everyone_ that he met, even strangers. If he didn't, again, a lot of us wouldn't be here today."

Everyone stares at him contently as he continues. "Lastly... I will never forget the aura that he had. My fondest memory of him was also shortly after the Lylat Wars, when we had vacationed on Fortuna. I'll never forget the kindness that he showed to our host. That sense of caring has always reminded me to keep my goals in mind. Without it, I wouldn't have grown up into the same person. Yes, because of Peppy, everything I have done has been for _you._ Each and everyone of you here today has been indirectly saved by this man. Be thankful for that and remember the sacrifices that he made for us. Thank you."

There is an almost thunderous applause as Fox steps down from the podium, shaking the speaker's hand as he walks back to his seat.

Fox then presses a button on the coffin as it's mechanically lowered into the ground. Once it goes down about five feet, it is sealed into the ground.

Fox's newest team member whispers to him, "That was an excellent speech Fox."

"Thanks Diego," Fox replies, slightly saddened. "I'm glad that you decided to come with us."

"Are you kidding?" Diego responds. "It's an honor for me to be here amongst you. It's a damn shame I didn't know Peppy well enough..."

As the crowd begins to dissipate, Fox takes one last glance at the hologram in front of the small tomb. It reads: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF PEPPY HARE, A FORMER SENIOR COMMANDER OF THE CORNERIAN ARMY AND A MEMBER OF STAR FOX."

"Hey..." Krystal speaks kindly as she places her hand on Fox's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." Fox smiles, obviously lying. "I'm fine..."

A vivid memory suddenly rips through him, as if it was happening all over again...

_Fox is flying down to Corneria city with haste, along with Falco. They have done it. They've finally found Gatorbile's secret hideout. A series of unexplained bombings have been filling Cornerian citizens with fear over the past week. Fox and his team know that it was him. Slippy began to track and trace each of the triggering signals, which eventually led them to discover that Gatorbile was hiding in some caves on the outskirts of the city._

_"Fox..." Falco remarks casually. "How are we gonna catch this son of a *****?"_

_"The only way we know how," Fox replies seriously. "With backup. I already called the Cornerian army, they're on their way."_

_"Dammit," Falco curses. "If Gatorbile sees them he'll most likely kill Peppy."_

_"Don't worry," Fox assures him. "They'll only move on my signal."_

_Fox lands his arwing just outside of the cave and draws his blaster as he jumps to the grass. Gatorbile runs out of the cave, slightly amused, as if he expected their arrival. Fox and Falco draw their blasters._

_"Come in quietly Gatorbile," Falco demands. "And we will spare your soul."_

_He simply walks out into the open and starts laughing uncontrollably. He pulls out a device from his pocket and holds it in front of them._

_"Do you see this?" He yells with a slightly insane tone "There is a bomb in a building near here. Your precious Peppy is inside, locked away with it. You come near me and he dies!"_

_"Peppy..." Fox's expression turns to one of guilt. "You bastard! Let him go, now!"_

_"Wrong," Gatorbile counters viciously. "You had better let me go! Or he, along with hundreds of other Cornerians will die."_

_Fox and Falco slowly lower their blasters, with tears in their eyes._

_"Just... hand over the trigger," Fox says cautiously. "And we'll let you go..."_

_"Fool... heh." He smirks. "You have already lost Fox!"_

_Gatorbile activates the device as a explosion can be seen coming ripping through Corneria City._

_"No!" Fox and Falco exclaim at once as sorrow fills their eyes._

_He draws two blasters and aims each of them at Fox and Falco._

_"Say goodnight Star Fox!" Gatorbile laughs evilly._

_A blaster shot can be heard as Gatorbile screams with both agony and surprise._

_"My leg!" Gatorbile curses as he clutches a burning hole in his kneecap. "Which one of you shot me?"_

_"I did." A feminine voice coming from behind him comments. "You really need to learn how to watch your back."_

*** (Copy and paste link if you want music for this part, .com/watch?v=njA2kXaNdgI)

(Guitar Intro _**Hope,**_)

The white vixen hostlers her smoking blaster and smiles, taunting Gatorbile lightly.

(_**A new beginning.**_)

He looks terrified as she grabs his shoulders and lifts him off of the ground.

(_**Time,**_)

She mumbles into his ear as she punches his stomach.

(_**Time to start living.**_)

He cries out in pain as she throws him to the ground.

(_**Like just before we died.**_)

He lifts up his hand defensively and coughs. Her facial expression is one of anger.

(_**There's no going back,**_)

She kicks him across the face, knocking out a few teeth.

(_**To the place we started from.**_)

She yanks him up again and screams. She hits him hard again, giving him a black eye.

(_**Hurt,**_)

Gatorbile begs her to let go.

(_**Falling through fingers.**_)

She nods and drops him as she asks a question.

(_**Trust,**_)

He shakes his head as he lays on the ground.

(_**Trust in the feeling.**_)

The vixen sighs, obviously disappointed.

(_**There's something left inside.**_)

She draws her blaster, and presses the barrel of it against his skull.

(_**There's no going back.**_)

She asks the question again, this time more furiously.

(_**To the place we started from.**_)

Gatorbile nods negatively again, tears streaming down his face. Despite intense pressure, She's unable to make him crack.

(_**All secrets known...**_ Guitar Solo, slight vocalizing, more guitar.)

In a fit of rage, she stomps her foot onto his injured leg. He screams and continues to cry out in agony. Claiming that he doesn't know the answer to the question. She begins to believe him as she lifts him to his feet and holds him in front of Star Fox. She aims her blaster and aims it at the two of them.

(_**Calm,**_)

Fox is surprised and confused.

(_**All wounds are healing.**_)

He asks her where she's been since the end of the war.

(_**Strong,**_)

She sighs deeply, before looking away.

(_**Truth is worth saving.**_)

She explains to Fox that she's working for someone.

(_**I want to feel alive**_.)

Falco asks who it is.

(_**There's no going back**_)

She doesn't answer, instead she knocks Gatorbile out.

(_**To the place we started from.**_)

As she runs away, she disappears into into the forest behind her.

(_**All secrets known...**_)

The Cornerian army shows up, and proceeds to arrest Gatorbile. Fox and Falco both frown, dismayed at the loss of their comrade...

Near the back section of the funeral crowd, one person is still sitting down on the uncomfortable chairs. She's wearing a black dress with a seam open up one side. She has a cellphone clasped onto her thigh.

"Peppy..." She whispers. "I'm sorry that I didn't save you in time."

Her cellphone suddenly vibrates.

She picks it up and says, "What is it?"

"_Gatorbile is on the move Nikki_." A distorted voice speaks through the phone. "_You need to head for Galloria right away. We believe that someone there is in danger._"

"How did he escape?" She almost yells into the phone. "You said that security would be tight."

"_It was,_" The voice sighs deeply. "_There must have been a traitor on the inside. As soon as you kill Gatorbile head back to base... we'll stop him together._"

"Alright..." Nikki sighs. "I'll contact you when it's done."

She hangs up the phone and reattaches it to the device on her leg. She then disappears into the crowd, as if she wasn't really there at all...


	2. Chapter 1: Dawning of New Foes

Here it is, chapter one. Probably the shortest one in Part 2. They'll get longer. As the title suggests, this chapter reveals two new villains.

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**Chapter 1: Dawning of New Foes**

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It's the day after Peppy's funeral and the members Star Fox have begun to get back to their normal routine. They're orbiting Corneria, aboard _The Great Fox II_. Their older command vessel was destroyed in the war that ended six months ago. The government of Corneria spent a few million space credits in aiding with the construction and design. This new ship has sleek and shiny silver hull. Seven engines are arranged in a hexagonal design, equipped to handle hyperspeed should the need ever arise. Four massive wings support the vessel aerodynamically. The body is very wide and tall, and it has been designed to travel through space twice as fast as the original _Great Fox_.

Fox, Falco, Slippy and Diego are playing pool in _The Great Fox II's_ recreation center. It's much more fancy and upgraded then their older one. Sleek, silver-coated walls shine like moonlit crystal. The floor is engraved with blue tiles that glow like distant stars. The table is also handcrafted, made out of the best Cornerian mahogany wood and signed by the woodcarver himself. Krystal is having a ball, watching their slightly amusing antics as they face off with each other.

"Dammit!" Diego swears. "That eight-ball is freaking annoying."

"That's why you don't hit it until the end," Falco comments sarcastically.

Krystal laughs as she presses a button near her seat, which sends all of the balls back up through the pockets as a machine above the table arranges them.

"Okay... I'll be with Slippy this time," Fox speaks while slightly aggravated. "At least he stays away from the balls."

"Hey!" Slippy retorts. "I'm not such a bad player myself you know!"

"Uh huh, sure," Falco counters humorously . "That's why you scratched four times on the last game?"

After they stop their light bickering, they resume their game. Diego breaks, sending the five-ball into a pocket. Falco shoots afterwards, nicking the three-ball at just the right angle. Diego fires again, accidentally hitting a striped ball and causing the white ball to tumble into a pocket.

"Damn," Diego curses again. "I wish there was something else to do..."

"What do you mean Diego?" Fox asks abruptly as he aims his pool stick.

"I just... wish that there was more action around here ya know?" Diego sighs with an honest tone. "I mean we aren't even employed right now."

"Well, at least everyone is at peace right now Diego," Fox states seriously as he fires. "That's all we really want. I mean after everything we've been through... the Lylat system needs a bit of a break."

"Besides," Falco adds as he shoots. "We're here to protect and serve The Lylat System. Nowhere else. And after our recent victory against Scales, very few criminals would dare to fly into Lylat space."

Diego sighs again. "I guess you guys are right. We _do_ need a slight rest."

Almost as soon as he says those words the holovision in the room beeps loudly with a semi-annoying medley.

Slippy runs up to the console and states, "Incoming transmission from General Dallas! She's on the emergency frequency!"

"Patch it through," Fox says quickly as he sets his cue on the pool table, "Quickly!"

Everyone is suddenly alert as General Dallas' image is transmitted through the holovision. She replaced her Grandfather's position after the Sauria War. She's quite young and slender for a bloodhound. The standard Cornerian uniform suits her well.

"Fox," She speaks in a worried manner. "I have just received word that Gatorbile has escaped from his confinement."

"What?" Fox yells, quite surprised. "How? When?"

"After the prison doctors fused his kneecap back together," She begins sadly. "He managed to kill them all and escape in the confusion that occurred yesterday. We don't know how this could have happened, he must have had help on the inside."

"Wait, this happened yesterday?" Slippy comments. "Why were we not told about this?"

"I didn't want to spoil Peppy's funeral for your team," Dallas confesses sympathetically. "I know how close you all were to him. My grandfather was as well. Out of respect, I decided to wait until today to bring you this bad news."

"Do we know the identity of the traitor yet?" Diego questions, eager to get back to the assignment in front of them.

"As a matter of fact we do," Dallas speaks triumphantly as a image of a black hawk comes onto the holovision. "Dante Bishop, twenty-three years old, no criminal record. He was the head of security at the prison. He has been missing since Gatorbile escaped and his body wasn't among the dead. He's been training our comrades for months. We can only hope that he didn't indoctrinate them with anything."

"Have you been able to track him down?" Krystal adds eagerly.

"Not yet," Dallas comments, almost regretfully. "But that's not why I called you. When Gatorbile fled Corneria, our spies indicated that he was heading for Galloria. We cannot legally send our men out there, we don't have the jurisdiction. So you will have to bring him down. Good luck Star Fox."

"Alright everyone!" Fox shouts. "Diego wanted some action and we've got it! We leave immediately, prepare your arwings! R.O.B. will prepare the ship for hyperspeed."

Everyone runs out of the room and towards the rear of the ship, except for Krystal and Fox. She follows him to the residential quarters of the ship and notices him entering a bathroom. He starts running the water from the sink and begins to sob heavily, holding his hands over his eyes. She walks up behind him, hugging him from behind.

"I... still can't believe he's gone..." Fox manages to whisper sadly.

"I know..." Krystal replies kindly as she places her hand on his shoulder. "Peppy's death has been hard on all of us."

"And now his killer is on the loose, _again._" Fox almost curses as he wipes the tears from his eyes.

"We'll lock him up for good this time," Krystal comforts. "I'm sure of it."

"How do you know that?" Fox questions angrily, almost snapping. "It took us six _months_ to capture him last time and that was with Nikki's aid. Who knows how long it'll take us now, without her..."

Krystal gets a tear in her eye as her memories about Nikki start to flood her mind.

"She's a strong young woman..." Krystal states sorrowfully. "She still has time to turn her life around... but right now we need to focus on capturing this monster once and for all."

"You're right." Fox says as he turns off the water and turns around. "We need to stop him. Hopefully we'll be one step ahead of him this time."

With that, Fox and Krystal walk back to their arwings, hand in hand.

A mysterious stranger is approaching one of Galloria's spaceports at breakneck speed. He's on a sleek, yet ugly colored hoverbike. He's wearing a onyx-tinted cloak, which conceals his face. Only his hands are visible around the handlebars of the powerful machine. Both of them are covered in pitch black scales. He's being followed by two other sharpclaws, his backup for this "mission." They're both well armored and equipped with blaster rifles. He stops at a guard post, located on the borderline of the spaceport and gets off of his vehicle. The hired gunmen hold their weapons up at him fearfully.

"Show yourself stranger!" One of the guards shouts bitterly. "Or I'll blow your freaking brains out."

Without saying a word, he twitches his right hand. An invisible force takes a hold of both of the mercenaries and lifts them high into the air. By now, he's holding his outstretched hand in front of him. As he moves it, the soldiers seem to fly in the same direction.

"What the hell is going on?" One of them yells, obviously terrified.

"You fools..." The sadistic sharpclaw taunts. "So weak. You are unworthy of passing through the upcoming era."

He clenches his raised fist tightly, which causes both of their necks to snap almost instantly. The sickening sound of crushed bones scraping against torn flesh fills the air as he slams the lifeless bodies onto the ground.

He turns to face the well-armed sharpclaws behind him and says. "Let's move. Our target is an old enemy of our boss. Let's not disappoint him."

With that, they speed off into the spaceport, shooting down everyone who dares to stand in their way.

Meanwhile... in the Red Rogue Inn, Star Wolf is relaxing and drinking together. The bar is owned by Wolf's long time friend, Frank Cassidy. They've just come back from protecting Talosmar from a small invasion. It is located near the center of the Strattus System and it's the only planet that wasn't affected by the war that occurred long ago.

They are sitting in a booth, laughing amongst themselves.

"Did you see the way she was lookin' at me?" Leon practically heels over with laughter. "She musta thought that I was prince charming or something."

"Didn't you notice?" Scarbb retorts. "You had a rip running down the crotch of your pants. She was laughing at you on the inside. Either that or she felt sorry for your ugly mug."

Wolf laughs so loudly it can be heard throughout the tavern. Panther remains unamused as he continues to drink his ale in silence. He still hasn't fully recovered from his "break-up" with Nikki. As everyone around him continues to converse loudly, a distant remnant of his old life flashes across his eyes.

_Panther and Nikki are in a their private room of Wolf's base, embracing each other softly as Nikki starts to pack a backpack full of clothes._

_"Geez," Nikki comments as she laughs, almost hysterically. "Are you too afraid to let me go?"_

_"I'm going to miss you ya know," He says softly as he kisses her neck. "With you going away on this mission, we won't see each other for almost three days."_

_"Well," She chuckles lightly. "Then I will be back, and everything will be fine."_

_"But what if it doesn't go as planned?" He responds concernedly. "This assignment could fail very quickly."_

_"Relax," Nikki comments as she brushes it off. "Stealth is my specialty. It's not like I'm infiltrating a place like Tricell... the Cornerians won't even know I'm there."_

_She kisses him again as she turns to leave the room._

_"Nikki..." He says boldly as she turns around again. "You know that I love you right?"_

_"Of course," She smiles lightly as she kisses and hugs him again. "I love you too Panther. When I get back, I'll come with you to Fichina. I've been dying to meet your family."_

_"Don't forget about it," Panther says as she exits the room again._

_"I won't," She responds lightly. "I promise."_

Panther frowns as the memory leaves him again.

'I_f only I had stopped her_...' He thinks regretfully. '_The future would have turned very differently. All of our lives would have been much better..._'

"Are you alright Panther?" Scarbb remarks curiously. "You don't seem to be in tune with reality today."

"I'm fine." Panther counters indifferently. "I'm just tired from all of the recent fighting."

Almost as soon as he finishes his drink, the sound of rapid blaster fire can be heard. Three lasers pierce one of Frank's sentry robots. Many of the nearby patrons draw their blasters and aim them at the attackers but they are thrown through the ceiling by an unknown power. Wolf and Leon tear the booth's table from the ground and set it to a defensive position, while Scarbb runs up to one of the sharpclaws and snaps his neck. Panther shoots the other one square in the chest, the laser easily pierces the body armor. However, the cloaked hostile enters shortly afterward. He grabs Scarbb by the neck and throws him against a wall.

"Scarr?" Scarbb questions, obviously recognizing his former comrade. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were dead."

"Heh... you fool... you cannot kill me," Scarr taunts with a shiver-inducing voice. "But I can kill you. However I will spare your pathetic life today as you are not my target. Not yet anyway."

Scarr throws Scarbb into his teammates which knocks them all out against the thick surface of the booth. Meanwhile, about twenty local pub dwellers surround Scarr with various swords, blasters and other forms of improvised melee weaponry.

"Leave now mate," One of them orders as he swings his sword.

Scarr roars as he draws a blade of his own, it seems to be made entirely out of light. It has a fiendish tint to it, matching his blood-red eyes perfectly. The patron's sword splits in half as it connects with the burning beam.

"That was an absolutely pitiful attempt..." He says before decapitating him in a horizontal flash of red light.

He cuts down six more of his attackers before the rest start to flee. However he holds out his arm and manages to latch onto several of them with an unseen force. As he concentrates he slowly separates the tips of his fingers. They all start to scream with terror as their bodies quickly rupture and seemingly explode from the inside out, leaving nothing but a cesspool of blood and bones behind. He pulls a shiny metallic gauntlet from his pocket and slides it over his right hand. He turns around to face Frank, who's face is white with pure fear.

"Who da hell are you? Your power... I've seen it before. How could you have done such a thing?" Frank questions as he's held in the air, against the wall.

"That doesn't matter. All you need to know is that your past has finally caught up with you Frank. You shall be wiped out from existence." Scarr laughs, almost fiendishly as he presses a button the strange glove.

Harsh arcs of white lightning shoot from the gauntlet's fingertips as Frank screams one last time. After a few seconds, the only thing left of him is a burning skeleton, which crumbles and turns to ash as it hits the ground. Smiling, Scarr takes out more people lurking outside of the now ruined building, incinerating them in a matter of seconds. He hops into his hoverbike and takes off from the chaotic death-field.

As he drives out of the spaceport, he talks into an intercom that is embedded on the side of the prototype device. "This is Scarr. The Cornerian weapon worked perfectly. The field test was successful. Tell the general that the target has been eliminated..."

* * *

Alright, this chapter obviously introduces Scarr and Dante. They will be featured a lot in a few chapters to come. I'll post chapter two shortly.


	3. Chapter 2: Tormenting Sins of the Past

**Chapter 2: Tormenting Sins of the Past**

* * *

_**Fifteen years ago... Somewhere on**_** Venom...**

A young boy was suddenly awoken by his mother. The expression on her face was a mixture of fear and regret.

"Mommy, what're doing?" He muttered as he pulled his sheets back over his head.

"Diego honey, we need to get going," His concerned mother said anxiously.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a frightened tone as he sat up. "Did grandpa die?"

"No," The worried parent replied. "Grandpa is just fine. We need to get to the vaults below the city. The mayor just announced that Corneria has begun to invade the surface."

"Ya mean we lost the war?" Diego pondered worriedly. "Where's daddy? Has he come home?"

"He'll meet us in the vault's bunkers," She lied convincingly. "But right now we need to get out here. Pack up some supplies. We're leaving in ten minutes."

Diego reluctantly stomped out of bed as he pulled his backpack out from underneath it. He began to pack it full of toys that were scattered around his room. A robotic action figure, yo-yo, model of a Venomian landmaster and a pack of marbles. He stuffed the remaining pocket space with numerous comic books that featured various superheroes, ones that supposedly aided Venom during the war. After a few minutes, his mother walked back into his room and noticed that he neglected to pack anything suitable for survival.

"I thought I told you to gather some clothes!" She shouted at him as she cleaned out his backpack and threw the contents around the room.

"Hey!" Diego protested bitterly. "These are _mine_! I need them!"

"No you don't!" She yelled again. "There will be plenty of new toys in the vault, now pack your toothbrush, toothpaste and some clothes. _Please_."

She stormed out of the room, obviously ticked off at her son's choice of important necessities. After a few minutes of reluctant and compulsive packing, he walked out of his room to see his worried mother peering into the hallway.

Diego's domicile was obviously underground, the metallic roof of the small living space was adorned with bright, tube-shaped lights. The walls were probably wrought out of steel decades ago, various pictures of his family's proud history and achievements still adorn them. During the nine years that he has lived, he's only seen the beauty of the Lylat sun on eight separate occasions.

As soon as his mother noticed him, she picked up her overflowing bag of necessities and started to hold unto Diego's hand tightly.

"Come on sweetie," She spoke with a forced cheerful tone. "Let's get going."

As they walked out of their living quarters, a distant rumbling could be heard as the ground shook with a tremendous force. Particles of dust started to fill the air... everyone around them started to panic as they ran through the city streets. An alarm emanated from various buildings as Diego and his mother continued to run through the agitated crowd.

"_Warning! Warning!_" A computerized masculine voice beeped. "_All Venom soldiers defending this sector are to report to city gate number twenty two. Cornerian soldiers have reached the city gates! Repeat, Cornerian soldiers have reached the city gates!_"

As Diego moved with his mother holding his hand, he stared curiously at the true immensity of the underground city. Structures, like skyscrapers, seemed to go up forever. He wouldn't even be able to have seen the top of the caves if they weren't lit by some kind of power source. They shined like distant stars, that seemed to be so far away. Screams could be heard all around him as rocks and debris continued to fall from the inward crust of the planet. They were coming down like hail now, they killed every unlucky soul that managed to get caught in their path.

Amidst all the bloodshed and confusion, Diego suddenly found himself separated from his mother. He could hear her distant voice calling out to him but he couldn't see her. The people around him were too numerous.

"Mom! Mommy!" Diego continued to cry out as loud as he could but to no avail.

After a few minutes, the citizens seemed to dissipate, leaving him all alone in an dark alley way in the city, teary eyed and scared. As he tilted his head to the left, he could hear distant weapons being fired. At that precise moment, he could have sworn that he saw his mother for a brief second. Filled with joy, he began to run up toward the familiar figure. As he got closer, he saw three soldiers, dressed in blue, running up toward her. Two of them laughed as they shot her directly in the chest.

"No!" Diego managed to scream as he ran up to the gunmen. "Momma!"

Two were birds, one was a tiger. The two birds aimed their blasters at Diego's head, a twisted look could easily be spotted within their facial features.

"What the hell are you two doing?" The tiger stated boldly. "These people are citizens! He's a mere boy!"

"Silence soldier!" The higher-ranked Cornerian officer replied. "He's Venomian [i]scum.[/i] Just like all the rest of them..."

They were about to fire their guns, when the tiger suddenly roared. "I won't let you murder anyone else!"

He quickly grabbed a sword from his belt and swung it at the younger bird's neck. A gagging scream was all that followed as he clasped his punctured jugular in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but to no avail. The corrupt officer had no time to react as his own comrade's sword was driven into his chest. He choked on his own blood as he uttered one last curse at his former ally and fell to the ground. The tiger held his hand out toward Diego as he backed away slowly.

"Come on young one," He said comfortingly. "We need to get you to safety."

"What about my mom?" Diego cried out. "What's gonna happen to her?"

"I'm sorry..." The feline cried out bitterly as he lifted Diego into his hands. "We can't help her."

Diego protested as he screamed with anguish, the good Samaritan lifted him up and began to flee from the battlefield, all the while hearing his fellow Cornerians running after him...

"Corporal Selmont is a traitor! Kill him at once!" Someone behind them shouted.

Diego passed out from the fear and turmoil that was raging through his young mind. The last thing he heard before he faded out was blaster fire and death cries that filled the air...

* * *

_**A few months later... back on**_** Corneria...**

Diego had been through a lot over the past few months. His mother was died, his father had been missing ever since Corneria invaded Venom. His old friends and relatives have either gone six feet under or been imprisoned. To top it all off, he's now living with two complete strangers who have taken him under their wings, so to speak. The brave soldier who saved him, along with his wife.

The tension between Corneria and Venom was increasing at a rapid rate, even though the Cornerian government had officially announced that the war was over. Rumors kept on spreading quickly amongst the citizens of Lylat. They told of corruption that existed within the Cornerian army and inhumane acts that they were supposedly ordered to carry out. They also told of a man who had stood up against the waves of darkness and vanished. Diego knew that this rumor was true, for he has been experiencing it himself. He didn't quite understand what caused the war, all that he could comprehend was the aftermath...

Once again, Diego was startled and awoken. Only this time, it was from two muffled voices that seemed to be coming from outside his room. He climbed out of his bed that was made from an old cockpit and opened his door slightly. Artificial light entered his room as he covered his eyes and started eavesdropping on the conversation that was taking place in the living room.

"I called Venom," The male tiger said seriously. "Tigeress... we need to get going. Tonight. They have space for us, a place where we can be safe."

"You _called_ them?" Tigeress replied scornfully. "Dammit Steven! You know how closely the Cornerian Defense Force is watching us right now. That was very risky."

"I had no choice," Steven stated calmly. "They'd find Diego eventually, we can't hide out in this cottage forever. They'd take him away from us. Is that really what you want?"

"Of course not," She sighed mournfully. "This is my only chance to have a son..."

"Then we must do everything we can to protect him," He responded comfortingly. "Whatever it takes... we will do it no matter what. Now get your things ready, my ship now fully operational. I'll wake Diego up soon. I've already packed for him."

"No!" Diego yelled as he opened up his room door completely. "The last time my momma and me tried to flee, it led to her dying. I will _not_ let it happen again!"

"Sweetheart..." Tigeress said as she peered down to his level. "It's not going to happen that way this time. The war is over. No one else has to die."

"No!" Diego screamed again. "That's what my mom said before she got shot. It'll happen again!"

Tigeress looked up to her husband concernedly, before he picked Diego up.

"Don't worry champ." Steven encouraged in a happy voice. "We'll leave while under cover of the night. I will protect you two no matter what..."

After an hour, everyone was finally ready to go. They were about to go out their back door, when they heard a loud banging coming from the front of their house.

"Cornerian police!" A muffled voice shouted. "Open up! We have a warrant for the arrest of one called Steven Selmont."

Diego suddenly became fearful as he heard several engines coming from outside. They're probably emanating from small ships that are flying around the small, secluded house.

"We traced his signal here," The officer barked again as he continued to pound on the door. "Now open up!"

They're all crowded in the kitchen, as Diego secretly pulled a sharp knife from a nearby drawer.

"What have I done wrong officer?" Steven remarked bravely as he readied his blaster. "I just want to be with my family."

"You're holding a fugitive Steven..." The solider replied in an almost sinister tone. "Not to mention how you killed over two dozen Cornerians during the Venom invasion."

"Who are you?" Steven demanded as he recognized the peculiar tone of the speaker. "Your voice... I've heard it before."

The door suddenly splintered and cracked open without warning as the assailant's face was revealed. He smirked evilly as he held his blaster rifle in front of him.

"Dante?" Tigress questioned suspiciously as she gazed into the black hawk's twisted smile. "What're you doing here?"

"Okay, okay... ya got me," Dante laughed, almost hysterically. "I'm not with the police. Me and my men outside are here to take you and your family to my boss."

"No, you don't mean-" Tigeress managed to say before being interrupted.

"Yes... _he_ really wants to see you..." Dante emphasized with a smirk.

"I will _never_ let you take them!" Steven yelled as he threw a nearby microwave at Dante.

It hit his shoulder, which caused him to drop his blaster rifle. He cursed loudly as he clutched his sore wing.

Diego, Steven and Tigeress ran out the back door as Dante bellowed into his intercom. "Help me you damn fools! They're escaping into the forest!"

Steven lifted Diego into his arms as he and Tigress continued to sprint. A few streams of light began to cast an eerie glow off in the distance, along with repulsive laughter that seemed to be coming from everywhere.

"My ship is close..." Steven whispered encouragingly. "We can still make it."

Almost as soon as those words came out of his mouth, a nearby rustling could be heard in the bushes. A cloaked figure leaped out of the plant, dagger in its claws.

"Steven!" Tigress shouted at the top of her voice. "Look out!"

Steven ducked, but lost his balance because of Diego's weight. They both tumbled to the ground, which gave the mysterious warrior the upper hand. He grabbed Diego quickly as he protested.

"Let me go!" Diego screamed as he drove his concealed cutting knife into the assassin's shoulder.

The solider groaned with malcontent as he pulled the small blade out of his flesh, dropping Diego to the ground. Using the available opportunity, Steven shot the enemy in the head, which put him out of commission permanently.

"Come on..." Tigress comforted Diego as she pulled him away from the body. "Let's keep going."

The three continued to make their way through the rugged terrain. When they finally saw the vessel, they were overjoyed. Like a diamond in the sky, their attention was focused on it and nothing else. As they approached the ship's ramp, a loud bang could be heard. Tigress unleashed a blood-hurling scream as she saw her husband fall flat on his stomach. He had a small hole in his chest and was still breathing, but barely.

She ran up to her soul mate and cried out. "Steven! No... please... you have to get up. You cannot die!"

"No..." He whispered hoarsely. "Get... out of here. Take our son to safety. May he... forget the horrors that happened tonight. This... isn't... Corneria's... fault..."

With those words, Steven passed away peacefully as his wife pulled his blaster from his belt. Diego only glanced at it for a split second, but he still remembered what it looked like to this day. The grip was trimmed with wood, engraved with a picture of a cobra. The rest of the blaster was forged from some sort of dull-colored metal. Diego's memory faded as he ran into the rundown vessel, the smell of death was thick in the air...

* * *

_**Seven years ago... on Venom.**_

Diego was nervous. He had just turned seventeen years old yesterday and taken a mandatory written exam that was sponsored by the Venomian government. Every teenager who can read and write takes the test at that age. Statistically, one in five-hundred students pass the test every year. Out of that small percentile, only one out of twenty get a job in one of the surface complexes on Venom. Diego had past the test, aced it actually, so he was now waiting to be interviewed by the newest head of Tricell's security branch. He was sitting in a long and narrow hallway on the forty-fifth floor of the dome-like structure. Chairs were along one side of the hallway, which were little more than plastic pedestals. Sunlight streamed in from outside and filled the air around him. It felt very soothing, he couldn't help but stare at the Lylat sun as his mind started to wander.

He was excited, he no longer wanted to live in the so-called "slums" of the planet. He didn't want to remain underground where all the crime and violence was. He had a deep, almost selfish, desire within him. He wanted to be somebody. This feeling inside him made him feel like he needed to make a difference in the world. There was a small part of him that longed for the fame and wealth that supposedly came with being a hero. He was daydreaming lightly about shaking the president's hand when someone called his name.

"Drane? Diego Drane?" A receptionist poked her head out of a nearby door as Diego stood up.

"Yeah..." He mumbled lightly. "That's me."

He was wearing a gray jacket with jeans and an unbuttoned collar, which was standard at job interviews like this one. He followed the receptionist into the inner corridor, which was filled with various rooms that were separated by glass walls. Most of the rooms that they passed were pretty standard for any office, computers, desks and the like. After a couple more minutes, he was directed into a room at the end of the hallway. His possible future employer turned to face him and smiled. His face was one of sincerity and kindness, with eyes that seemed to calm Diego down a little bit. Although he was still sweating slightly.

"Thank you Angela," The man commented softly. "I'll take it from here."

"Yes sir Commander Miller," She addressed him officially. "I'll be at my desk if you need me."

Diego peered at a nearby picture on the Commander's desk. It was him, his wife and a small baby, they were all huddled together on some sort of lavish and green planet.

"Your family?" Diego asked politely as he pointed towards the picture.

"Yess," Curtis replied happily with a slight accent as he sat down. "My wife Annette and my sson Ferry. He'll be two yearss old next month. But enough about me."

He picked up a nearby folder and read it aloud as he skimmed through it. "Diego Drane. Seventeen yearss of age, top of your class. It sayss that you're on your sschool's hoverboard team, everyone needs a hobby I guess. You alsso sscored in the ninty-fifth percentile when you took our admission tesst. Fantasstic work I must ssay."

"Thank you sir," Diego said, almost uncomfortably.

"Pleasse call me Curtis," He responded in a dignified manner. "Tell me sson... why do you want this job?"

And there it was. The question that Diego had thought about a thousand times, over and over again. Did he really know the answer?

He wasn't sure what to say, so he just started quickly. "I want to protect those I care about most. I don't want to live as a nobody in some filthy underground city. I want to make a _difference_ sir."

Curtis rubbed his forehead and sighed lightly before he spoke. "You know how many people have ssaid that to me in this office boy? None. Mosst young oness sstate that they want fame or riches. Thiss job offers none of that. The training program is rigid and difficult. Are you ssure that you're up for that? What about your family?"

"Yes sir I am." Diego stressed boldly. "My family is gone. My father went missing just after the Lylat wars ended. And my mother... was killed in the invasion. I was raised by a Cornerian woman, who now works with the Venomian Defense Force. I believe that this company will work for the good of everyone, those that are evil would seek to destroy it. I want to give back to my planet and my people... sir."

Curtis smiled lightly as he arose from his seat. "Then welcome aboard young man. Jusst one thing though. Stop calling me ssir."

They both laughed as they exited the office, each of them knew that this could possibly be the start of a good friendship.

* * *

_**Six years ago... Inside Tricell's barracks...**_

Diego was suddenly awoken by a blaring alarm that seemed to tear through his ears. He almost knocked his head on the bunk bed above him as he stood out of bed.

"Wake up everyone!" A nearby army officer yelled. "A massive renegade horde is marching towards the south. Get to the roof and take 'em down!"

Diego, along with nine other riflemen, climbed out of their beds almost instantly and grabbed their weapons out of nearby footlockers. Since Diego begun his training last year, he once again showed signs above-average skills and determination. So, he was promoted to be a sniper just a couple of months ago, defending the building from afar. After just sixty seconds, Diego ran through the upper hallways of the complex and out onto a rimmed platform around the dome's edge. It was concealed with a small roof, leaving only enough room to shoot through. The sun has barely risen, yet he could see for miles in front of him. Numerous brigades and bandits were swarming out of the mountains off in the distance. They were vile beasts, mutated and misshapen because of generations upon generations of living on the toxic surface. Most of them concealed their bodies and faces with robes, however a few of them were brave enough to expose themselves. Their skin was brown and sickly, eyes as dark as night. They all yelled a raging battle cry as they began their march.

Diego, along with his comrades got into their positions and began to set up their rifles. As he carefully peered through his scope, he could see the detail of some of their faces. The thought of the mutants breaking into the facility made him cringe. He fired, blowing off the heads of two at once. Even though he kept firing and killed many of them, his efforts didn't seem to slow them down overall. They began to shoot back wildly, shattering an innumerable amount of windows with their crude ammunition. Diego continued to blast through many bodies and limbs without missing any of his targets.

The Venomian infantry entered the battlefield after a couple of minutes, engaging the massive army in hand to hand combat. Diego aims his weapon to the enemies closest to his allies. He sees Tigeress in front of the army, commanding it and swinging her sword skillfully. Cleaving through every monster that she came across, making fighting look like a work of art. She grabbed one by the arm and broke its hand. The creature hissed as she slit its throat, spraying blood like a miniature fountain. The stench of blood didn't seem to deter her, she continued to fight even though almost half of her red uniform was covered in the thick fluid.

'_What is she doing?_' Diego pondered to himself as he began to watch her like a hawk.

All of a sudden a loud roar was heard from the enemies front-lines. A creature, over fifteen feet in height, seemed to appear out of thin air. It screeched loudly as it swung its huge axe, which decapitated several mutants and Venomian soldiers almost instantly. Tigeress backed away with fear as Diego tilted his rifle towards the beast's head. He took a deep breath as he squeezed the trigger. The monstrosity had just risen its axe above his head and was about to slice Tigeress in half when the laser pierced its forehead. The creature dropped its weapon, which sliced its chest open with a sickening sound of tearing flesh and shattering ribs. With its heart exposed, Tigeress drove her sword into it causing blood to spew in every direction as the tyrant finally fell. Its lifeless body crushed every unfortunate mutilated grunt that got too close.

It didn't take long for the rest of the battle to be over. The invading army retreated after seeing their mighty one fall to the iron surface. Once the enemy squads were far enough away, an air-strike was issued, which consumed almost half of the remaining troops.

Diego started to run back into the building, eager to catch his adoptive mother before she returned to her residence. After about twenty minutes, he entered a hanger where the remaining footmen had gathered. Tables and booths were set up, many of the soldiers were eating, drinking and socializing. Once Diego saw Tigeress, they embraced each other heavily.

"So good to see you," Tigeress almost shouted with eagerness. "It has been nearly half a year since I saw you last. Look at you! You're all grown up now... my son."

"You did good out there, we wouldn't have won so easily if it wasn't for you," Diego complimented honestly.

"Huh," She remarked with her arms folded across her chest. "That was you who hit the damn super mutant in the head huh? Nice going."

"Yeah but you finished the job," He stated simply.

Tigeress smiled lightly as she began to change the subject.

"Listen..." She said concernedly. "I'm going to be going away for a while. Probably gonna go back home and live out the rest of my years in peace."

"Huh?" He questioned in a shocked manner. "What do you mean?"

"Look," She addressed him with a serious tone. "This is too big for me, all this death and chaos. I think I'm ready to settle down now. You're all grown up. You are quite capable to live here on your own terms."

He hugged his adoptive parent as he cried, almost with joy. "I promise... I'll visit you as often as I can."

"Don't worry about that," She laughed half-heartedly. "I'll be sure to come by at least once every two months. You can handle being by yourself for that long right?"

"Of course..." He chuckled back. "I think I'm quite able to take care of myself."

With that, Diego walked away with a happy and triumphant feeling inside of him. She was right, he was all grown-up. He turned around and waved goodbye as he left the hanger, unaware that it was the last time that he would see her for a long time...

* * *

_**Present day... aboard The Great Fox**_** II**

"_Diego_!" Fox bellows through his fighter's intercom. "_Is something wrong? Why haven't you launched your arwing yet?_"

Diego's mind suddenly snaps back to reality.

"Sorry Fox..." Diego replies. "I was just remembering something. I'm coming out now."

Diego presses a button on his dashboard which sends his arwing into the depths of space. He hostlers his blaster that he's been staring at... one with a cobra engraved on its handle... and metal dulled and worn with time.

* * *

**Author****'s**** Note:** This chapter is actually a few years old. (refer to Chapter 3's AN for a brief description of future chapters) This was a really fun chapter to do, but also a really difficult one, as I'm not used to writing in the past tense. Even so yes, I know there are errors.

But anyway, I really wanted to do a chapter that showed the true brutality of war. In the games, we only see Corneria as the Messiah of planets. When in reality, both sides of any war are brutal and there will always be monsters on both sides.

Also this is an excellent character development chapter for Diego, shedding some light on his past, his experiences and his plans and overall goals. Is he the traitor? Only time will tell. I hope you all enjoy reading this. Chapter 3 is gonna be posted too.


	4. Chapter 3: No Mercy for the Wicked

**Chapter 3: No Mercy for the Wicked**

Galloria. The name sends chills up the spines of anyone who has traversed its terrain. Almost everyone who has ventured there and lived to tell about it are never the same. They're haunted by the morbid fear of death that lurks around every corner. You could be walking down one street no problem, then you walk around a corner only to notice that a blade has been driven into your gut. Yes... Galloria is a hellish world. Only the strong and smart are able to survive. All others are laid to waste...

The planet hasn't changed much within the past few months. Hell, it hasn't moved much for decades. It is still the same vermin-filled, criminally saturated wasteland. In fact, the only thing that is changing is its stability. It is continuing to deteriorate at a rapid rate due to the recent tension that came after the war. If things keep going the way they are, there will soon be nothing left and Galloria will be a smoldering sphere, devoid of life, just like the rest of the Strattus System. Yes, if Galloria were to be destroyed, there would only be one habitable planet left in the Strattus System... Talosmar.

* * *

Fox and his team enter the thick, hazy atmosphere of Galloria. The spaceport that they're flying towards seems to have been attacked recently.

"There's smoke rising from the south..." Krystal comments as she's interrupted. "Isn't that where-"

"Yes," Fox states concernedly. "Frank's bar is located in that section of the spaceport. I hope he's alright..."

"Gatorbile..." Falco replies scornfully. "That son of a bitch isn't going to get away this time."

"We'd better hurry," Diego comments bitterly. "He has to know that we're coming by now."

"Don't you worry Diego," Slippy croaks annoyingly. "We'll catch 'im off guard. He'll have no choice but to surrender."

"You should be smarter than that Slippy," Diego counters, obviously aggravated. "He runs like a coward every time we get within his eye sight. We need to be one step ahead of him this time."

"Diego is right," Fox agrees with a serious tone. "The Cornerian government has given us permission to fire on site. His crimes will end today, with or without his arrest."

With that, they land their arwings in a public hanger. It is made up of a few sandstone walls that have been constructed with a basic rectangular shape.

"Well that's strange," Fox mumbles to himself. "There are no other ships ported in the lot..."

As they exit their arwings, about a dozen Gallorian soldiers run up toward them. They're all wearing mustard tinted uniforms, almost unsightly in their color. Stun batons are concealed in their belts, although their handles are clearly visible. The indisputable gaze of malcontent can be seen in their eyes.

"This is a private sector... we have a client who doesn't want to be disturbed right now." A jaguar, who appears to be the commander, states seriously.

"We're here to capture a dangerous criminal," Fox explains in a calm manner as he points to his badge. "Please let us through."

"Star Fox eh?" One of the other guards comments. "Looks like we found 'em boys! Gatorbile will pay us extra if we bring these little pricks to him alive!"

Alerted to the hostility of the guards, Diego punches one dead in the face, knocking him out instantaneously as his head hits the hard floor.

"You'll pay for that!" A bird thug says as he approaches Diego.

However, Falco grabs his wing and throws him to the ground, rendering him unconscious with a swift kick to the back of the head afterwards.

Meanwhile, three of the henchmen approach Krystal and Slippy. Thinking that they're easy targets, they draw their melee weapons as they snicker to themselves.

Slippy runs up to one and tackles him to the ground as he yells. "No mercy!"

The impact causes Slippy to hold his head in bewilderment as the two remaining foes approach Krystal. She holds up her fists defensively as the two fiends laugh again. She runs up to the wall behind her and jumps off of it, grinning. Her feet are driven into one of their chests, causing the poor bastard to tumble to the ground as she catches his baton. She blocks the attack of the other thug as she flips herself upright again. A look of fear sweeps across his eyes as he turns around and tries to flee. However, she throws her stun rod at his back, causing the electrical end to make contact with his uniform. His whole body shakes violently as drops to the floor and blacks out.

Meanwhile, Fox, Diego and Falco have managed to subdue all of the corrupt officers except for two. They begin to run away as Diego draws his blaster. He pulls the trigger twice. Each shot rips through their skulls as if they were made of paper.

Everyone looks at Diego, slightly stunned and surprised by his latest action.

"You don't want them telling Gatorbile that we are here do you?" Diego explains honestly as he hostlers his smoking weapon. "I did what had to be done."

Fox nods reluctantly as he sighs. "I guess not..."

Krystal notices a building connected to the hanger and motions her hand towards it.

"Let's hide these men in there," Krystal suggests, almost sadly. "Then we can look for Gatorbile..."

"Good idea," Falco comments as he bends down to pick a body up. "Help me with this one Diego."

As they rid the hanger of all evidence of a fight, Star Wolf is just beginning to wake up from their hellish nightmare...

* * *

_"Scarbb!" A nearby, yet distorted feminine voice shouts._

_The voice is soft and soothing. Almost as if someone nearby is trying to comfort him. Scarbb slowly opens his eyes and notices that he is laying down on a floating mound of grass and dirt. Huge chunks of trees, rocks and various buildings seem to be speeding past him at a rapid rate._

_"Scarbb!" The voice yells again and comes through more clearly this time. "Wake up..."_

_He sits up slowly as he groans. He gazes around his vicinity and notices that he seems to be hurling through space at an incredible speed, which should be impossible as he's in no ship._

_A feminine figure begins to take shape in front of him. One with delicate eyes and a firm smile. He recognized her instantly as his eyes beamed with happiness._

_"Maria..." Scarbb manages to cough out. "What are you... where am I?"_

_"That's not important right now," The figure speaks fluently, in Saurian. "I'm here to deliver a message to you. You must stop Scarr. If you do not, in less than one galactic year Sauria will be just as you see it now."_

_"I don't understand," Scarbb replies. "I do not see anything except... pieces of debris."_

_"Precisely." Maria states simply. "This is Scarr's goal. To reduce Sauria to nothing and to kill everyone on it."_

_The reality of the situation hits Scarbb like a bolt of lightning._

_"He wants revenge for his master's defeat..." He says as he understands. "But I don't get it how he'd do it. How could he destroy the planet? Sauria has been devoid of it's magical energy since the Krazoa left after the fall of Scales. They harnessed it all to repair the damage that was done to the Lylat System."_

_"Scarr's strength does not come from the Krazoa," Maria replies worriedly. "But from advanced technology. He will soon have the authority and capability to destroy a planet in seconds."_

_"The Cornerian weapon..." Scarbb says fearfully. "Scarr must have gotten his claws on the data somehow..."_

_"Yes." The phantom responds again. "Go to Sauria. You must warn the people and defend the planet at all costs. He will invade Sauria soon. Gather the Venomian and Cornerian armies... they must aid you..."_

_The ghost-like illusion starts to fade as Scarbb cries out. "Maria! Come back... please... my wife... don't leave me again..."_

* * *

Scabb is suddenly awoken by Panther who is shaking his arm lightly.

"You okay?" Panther questions, almost thoughtfully. "You were kinda mumbling and ranting before you opened up your eyes."

"I'm fine..." Scarbb says defensively as he stands. "I just know the monster who did this..."

"Who is he?" Leon asks abruptly. "We must track the son of a bitch down and make him pay. No one knocks me out on my watch..."

"It's not that simple," Scarbb retorts as he walks out of the shattered building.

He covers his eyes to block out the sun as he continues. "I don't know where he is now but I do know what he'll be doing. His name is Scarr. He worked underneath Scales during the war. If what I know is correct, he wants revenge against everyone who wronged him. Frank must have done something to anger him..."

"It makes sense..." Wolf growls bitterly as he thinks about the death of Frank. "If he wants revenge against [i]everyone[/i] then maybe he'll head for Sauria next."

"That's what I was thinking," Scarbb replies. "We must get to Sauria. They must be warned. But there's something deeper going on here Wolf. I sense that we may run into some old foes... Gatorbile may be working with Scarr."

"That bastard." Panther comments as he spits onto the ground. "When we catch him I'll break his freaking neck. He still has to pay for taking my brother's life..."

"It's decided then." Wolf comments, almost aggressively. "We will head for Sauria at once. Maybe we'll find a lead to the whereabouts of Scarr there..."

Wolf and his team leave the spaceport and take off into the depths of space, missing Star Fox by mere minutes...

* * *

Fox and his team are beside themselves with what they see. What used to be a slightly rundown bar has been transformed into a graveyard. Blood and rotting organs cover the inner walls of the decrepit building.

"Oh god," Krystal barely manages to say. "What the hell happened in here?"

"I've never seen anything like this..." Diego comments as he covers his nose. "Whoever did this had to be strong enough to rip bodies in half. There's only one person I know who can do that."

"No," Fox snaps, almost aggressively. "Nikki wouldn't have done something like this..."

"Do we really know whose side she's on anymore?" Diego states his point boldly as he looks around for evidence.

"She's been through a lot over the past six months Diego... but she'd [i]never[/i] turn on her friends," Krystal counters as she examines some strange residue on the floor. "These burn marks... they couldn't have come from a regular fire."

"What do you mean?" Fox questions as he runs his hand along the dust covered surface. "Wait... I've seen this stuff before. Electricity is the only thing I can think of that could have left this specific type of ash on the ground..."

"How is that possible though?" Diego ponders, not understanding his logic. "There are no damaged conductors or fried wires nearby, no obvious point of origin. There is nothing to indicate that the killer used anything in this bar."

"Then the assailant must have brought some kind of high-tech weaponry with him. That's a feasible explanation is it not?" Falco reasons, easily grasping the point himself. "Now let's look around for some more evidence as to who did this."

"You can help me lift this table Falco." Fox offers as he gestures towards a broken table in the middle of the room.

It's obvious that there's a body underneath it. A blue, scaly hand is trapped in between it and the ground.

"Maybe this body was the perpetrator's accomplice..." Falco responds as he bends down and begins to raise the table. "If he had one that is."

As they lift the hard slab of concrete, Krystal gasps at what she sees underneath it. The dead thug's flesh is torn and burnt. There is a strange, cylinder-like device tied to its waist.

"There's a bomb attached to that corpse!" She yells fearfully as Fox and Falco throw the piece of furniture to the side of the room.

"We'd better get out of here! Now!" Fox shouts undauntedly. "Quickly!"

Krystal and Slippy run through the broken doorway as Fox, Diego and Falco each jump through a window. As soon as their tails are free from the inn's roof, an explosion rips through it. They all scream as the force of the explosion knocks them off of their feet. A distant blaster shot can be heard shortly afterwards as the crowd around the building begins to flee the crime scene. The laser grazes past Fox's head, singeing a few of his hairs.

"Sniper!" Diego shouts as he stands upright and hides behind a nearby piece of debris. "Gatorbile must be firing at us! Everyone find cover now!"

A couple more shots echo through the air, but Diego can't see any more projectiles. After a few seconds, everyone else regains their alertness as they start to stand. When they do so, a familiar ship can be seen flying away from the spaceport. Someone far off and unseen fires at the fighter but the lasers simply bounce off the ship's holoshield.

"Gatorbile! shit..." Falco curses as he kicks up some of the sand beneath his feet. "The coward got away again. Someone else must have been after him too..."

"We must try to follow him." Slippy shouts quickly as he starts to run back to the hanger. "If I know his last position before his jump to hyperspeed I can triangulate his destination. We must hurry."

Left in a state of disarray, Star Fox and his team run back to their arwings. They're all completely unaware of the fact that a familiar vixen just saved all of their lives... twice.

* * *

Nikki is flying through Galloria's atmosphere, piloting her fighter, _The Punisher_. She's wearing her standard combat gear. Tight, pitch black leather armor protects her chest and legs. Her blasters, modified to shoot through almost anything, are concealed in the inner pockets of her onyx colored overcoat. When she stands, the bottom of her intricately woven outerwear goes down to her knees. Her sword, the magical Cerinian blade left for her by her father, is sheathed and held in place by her scabbard which is attached to her belt. The metal has a light blue hue, and it seems to glow softly whenever she wields it.

She sighs deeply as she trys to remain calm. Her heart is racing in her chest as she focuses on the task at hand. She had captured Gatorbile before, but through the aid of traitors, he was able to escape his confined cell. This time however, she would be sure to finish the job. There would be no trial, no lawyers and or a prison sentence, just an execution.

'_Even if a hundred men are protecting him,_' She tells herself mercilessly. '_They won't be able to stop me. The bastard will die here today. I won't let him get away, not this time._'

She lands her small ship in a small port that looks just like all the rest, ugly yet durable. As she jumps out, her boots create a distinct thudding noise as they hit the sand-ridden surface.

"Huh... no guards," She grumbles as she looks around the hanger. "How odd..."

She starts walking through streets hastily, not blending in very well. She peers into alleyways and climbs on top of numerous buildings, looking for Gatorbile. Sadly, she can't seem to find him anywhere. As she begins to explore the northern half of the spaceport however, someone in the crowd, cloaked in black, begins to follow her closely. She carries on undeterred, aware of her follower but trying to make him believe that he's still hidden. She walks down a secluded street, her pursuer follows suit quickly as she turns around. Surprised, he quickly draws a blaster from his belt. However she grabs his arm, the blaster is fired into the air as she throws her would-be assassin against the wall. He starts to choke as she forces him to drop his weapon.

"Who the hell are you?" She shouts angrily. "Why do you want me dead?"

"Please... let... me go..." The masked man replies.

She kicks him in the knee-cap, easily shattering it with her inhuman strength. He howls with agony as he's held up by Nikki's forearm.

"I won't ask again. What the hell do you want with me?" She yells louder with a more intimidating tone.

"Some... reptile promised me that he'd... pay me five-thousand space credits if... I brought him your head," The mercenary replies as he continues to gasp for air.

'_Gatorbile.._.' She thinks bitterly as she drops the assassin to the ground. '_He must have seen me. Shit._'

"Where did you meet him?" Nikki demands coldly, with a serious tone. "Tell me."

"About two-hundred yards from The Red Rogue Inn, in an abandoned watchtower on the corner of the street across from it," The thug manages to cry out as he sits up against the wall. "Please... go... easy on me."

Nikki scoffs, before saying one final sentence at her attacker. "I _was_ going easy on you fool. You're just another useless pawn..."

With all the force she can muster, she kicks him directly in the chest. Over half of his ribs shatter as shards of bone pierce his lungs and heart. A sickly, gargling noise comes through his throat as he painfully drowns from the inside out. Afterwards, Nikki begins to run towards the specified location. When she gets within viewing distance, she can easily see the top of it. It has a wooden, slanted roof. Other than that, it appears to be made out of the same sandstone as everything else on the planet.

'_Someone could easily be look out from the top of that.._.' She tells herself as she tries to analyse her environment. '_I'd better be careful not to reveal myself.'_

As she blends in with the common populace around her, she begins to hear faint tidbits of information.

"Frank's bar has been attacked!"

"The villain got away... everyone inside is dead... God it stinks..."

She is instantly reminded of the night that Kobi was murdered. She wasn't able to do anything about it at that time. But things are different now. She has undergone special training with one goal in mind. To kill efficiently and silently. She finally has the capability and the skill to be able to avenge him. She intended to do so.

'_I must be quick._' She speaks to herself again. '_Every second lost gives Gatorbile another chance to flee_.'

She starts to run through the crowd, not caring about the countless people that she just pissing off by bumping into them. When she finally reaches the base of the watchtower, she sees that the entrance is being guarded by six Gallorian officers.

'_He could still be here... he obviously doesn't want anyone to disturb him._' She ponders logically as she draws her silver-colored blasters. '_I will finally avenge Kobi's death.._.'

The spectators around her back away as they notice that her gaze is focused on the abandoned tower. A few flee with terror, while others simply watch and observe, eager to find out what she's going to do.

"Put your weapons away madam," One of the guards who walks up to her says coldly. "This area is under strict surveillance by the Gallorian government. No citizens are permitted inside at this time."

"You better let me into that tower," Nikki addresses indifferently, "or there is gonna be hell to pay."

"As I said," The soldier responds as he draws his blaster. "Leave... or I'll put you head on a freaking stake."

Nikki turns around as she sighs. "Well... this should be amusing."

Blood flies through the air as she delivers a powerful back kick that connects with the guard's jaw. The other five gunmen draw their weapons as Nikki fires hers. Three bodies fall to the ground swiftly, while the other two thugs aim their guns. She jumps over the body of one of the fallen foes as she hostlers her blasters as she slams her knee into one of the officer's abdomens. It goes straight through, spewing intestinal fluids and blood onto the sandstone wall behind him. The other guard drops his blaster out of utter terror and raises his hands.

"Please... don't kill-" Is all that he manages to say.

Nikki grabs him by the back of his uniform and slams his head into the wooden door of the watchtower, splintering and shattering the wood. She opens the door quickly as she drops the last corpse, and sure enough, Gatorbile is staring at her.

"Well well..." He laughs as he examines her recent rage. "It looks like you've arrived just in time to see your former allies blown sky high."

She notices that he's holding onto a detonator. She gasps, unable to hide her surprised expression.

"Unless you back off of course. If you don't I'll kill them all right now..." Gatorbile chuckles again.

Nikki's eyes fill with sorrow as she gets a firm grip on a concealed combat knife. "Leave them out of this you son of a bitch. You're going to die here, today. And nothing is going to save your cowardly ass this time."

"Had to turn into a bitch yourself huh?" Gatorbile retorts, trying to hide his fear. "Very well then... they shall meet you in hell."

Just as he tilts his head to press the red button, Nikki throws her knife as hard as she can. The blade flies through the air and pierces Gatorbile's upper arm and pins it up against a nearby wall.

He snarls loudly as he drops the detonator, trying not to cry out with pain. As the collides with the floor the sound of a distant explosion through the room. He laughs uncontrollably as it is obvious that the bomb was triggered.

"Good job... hero. You just signed their death warrants-" Gatorbile speaks as he is interrupted by a communication device.

he puts his free finger to his ear and says. "What do you mean they survived? Shoot them then you damn fool-"

Nikki punches him dead in the face, rendering him unconscious.

'_There must be a sniper on the roof,_' She reasons. '_I'll come back for Gatorbile... I can't leave his target here to die, whether it is Fox or Wolf.._.'

Nikki runs up a nearby stairwell with all the agility that she can muster. She draws her Cerinian sword as a few more corrupt Gallorian guards come towards her from above and below, drawing their own blades. She easily blocks the blow of one as she shoves him down the stairs, knocking him against the foes below. The other two in front of her back away as she grabs one of them and throws him through a nearby wall. The other one simply runs away with fear and she lets him. As she reaches the final set of stairs, three more fiends surround her, two in front and one behind. The ones in front of her attempt a vertical strike, however she quickly anticipates it and slices both of their abdomens open with one swift stroke. They hold their wounds tightly as Nikki decapitates the guard behind her, not even giving him a moment to defend himself.

"I don't have time for you two..." She says as she runs past the thugs who are still clutching their gutted stomachs.

As soon as Nikki reaches the roof she kicks down a wooden door. She sees the anticipated sniper there, He's seconds away from pulling the trigger. She runs up to him and kicks him in the leg just as a shot goes off. She follows its path with her eyes and notices that it misses Fox's head by mere millimetres.

'_They're alive. Dazed and hurt... but... alive,_' Nikki tells herself positively as the solider turns to face her.

"Who the hell are you?" The mysterious stranger demands bitterly as he tries to shoot her.

However, she dodges the shot and fires her own blaster. The laser rips through his shoulder as he curses loudly. She lifts him up in the air and notices that he's an ape, probably of Venomian decent.

"I should ask you the same thing." Nikki says as she slams him up against a plank of wood that's holding the roof up. "How did Gatorbile know that Star Fox would be here? Why'd you attack Frank Cassidy? What is the connection?"

"We haven't killed anyone yet." The ape chuckles evilly. "You're the bitch that just prevented it."

Nikki knees him in the groin. He cries out in agony as she continues to scream in his face. "You'd better tell me who the hell you are working for if you don't want to die."

The Venomian simply laughs more, even though it seems to be quite difficult. "You have no idea what's really going on here do you? You think we don't know who you are Nikki Grant? We've been briefed on your whole life. What you were, how you've become what you are now. We know what to expect from you. You wouldn't let me live even if I told you everything. I shall die with honor and tell you _nothing_! I'm no traitor!"

Nikki almost let's him go with surprise, but she keeps her firm grip. She then holds him over the edge of the tower.

"Fine... I'll discover the truth through another willing lab rat. I have no more use for you." She says as she lets him go.

He yells and laughs, almost at the same time as he falls fifty feet head first. He hits the ground with a gruesome thud.

Nikki sighs as she looks over at a nearby building. Its flat roof appears to be opening. A ship slowly flies out of it, Gatorbile's unconscious body is beside someone else who is piloting it.

"Shit!" Nikki yells as she draws her blasters.

She fires at the ship repeatedly, but only a few of the blue lasers manage to put a dent on the vessel's thick hull. She curses again as she hostlers her blasters and picks up her sword. She pulls her small, modified cellphone out of her pocket and inputs a twelve digit number onto the tiny keypad.

The phone rings and rings as someone with a feminine voice answers. "Nikki? Is that you? What is the status of the mission?"

"Gatorbile got away again," She replies reluctantly. "I need someone to track him down."

"No, we need you back at the base. A new priority has risen on Talosmar and we need you. Report back immediately." The line clicks off as Nikki puts away her cellphone.

She slams her fist into a nearby wall, causing it to shatter. She was pissed that Gatorbile evaded her capture again. Even more so that she was ordered not to follow him. But, she also knew that missions on Talosmar were of utmost importance. For if she lost her main base, she wouldn't be able to do her work.

She begins to enter the stairwell when she hears more screams coming from the streets below. Hastily, she pokes her head down from the roof and is appalled at what she sees. The body of the hired gunman is no longer there flat on the ground. Instead, it appears to be alive again and attacking everyone around it. Small black tentacles are fusing together to form crude body parts. she recognized the organism... she had only seen it once before...

'_Dammit_,' Nikki cursed inside. '_Why is this thug infected with the same virus that reanimated Tigeress? Something else is going on here... there must be a third party involved.._.'

She lifts up the rifle off of the ground and aims it at the beast's "head". She fires at it several times, it emits a high-pitched hiss with each blow. Finally, after nearly two minutes of constant firing, the creature stops moving and the tentacles dissolve into a pile of murky liquid. The only thing left behind is a body that looks like it's been half eaten.

Sighing deeply, Nikki returns to her ship. Her head is filled with questions. She will get the answers... by any means necessary.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hey guys, been a while hmm? I've actually written quite a few more chapters since posting chapter 2 here. I'll try to get them up as soon as I can. This chapter specifically is a few years old, back when I was "obsessed" with Resident Evil and Assassin's Creed, the influences of which are probably quite obvious in some parts. This is also my only chapter so far in part two that has Star Fox, Star Wolf and Nikki in it on the same planet and during roughly the same time.

With that in mind, I hope you all enjoy it. And who knows? I may even get new readers now.


	5. Chapter 4: The Power of the Enemy

**Chapter 4: The Power of the Enemy**

* * *

It has been three days since Scarr and Gatorbile left their terrified mark on Galloria. Slippy was unable to find any trace of Gatorbile after the assault, so his current location remains unknown. To make matters worse, a second terrorist, who's identity is not known, has gotten away with murdering Frank Cassidy. Both of them covered their tracks very well. Even though it was through the use of one small bomb, it was enough of a diversion to give them enough time to disappear.

Someone else was behind all of this. Krystal sensed that something was amiss, they all did. Although no one could ever have anticipated who it was. Someone who was wicked beyond normal bounds was watching their every move, planning his attacks based on where they were. He was building his ultimate weapon of war, it was nearing its completion. His whole purpose in life dwelt on the fulfillment of one simple thought. Death and destruction to everyone who opposed him, no matter the cost.

* * *

_Krystal is sprinting down a abandoned circular hallway, holding her blaster firmly in her hands. But something is wrong. Numerous light fixtures that once shined brightly are now flickering on and off repeatedly. Several sparks spew out with every abrupt flash, allowing fresh blood to be seen on the walls and floor for a brief moment. The tainted bodily fluid is seeping down the walls slowly, like miniature streams of water. It creates a sickening and distasteful sound as it makes its way through the ceiling from the level above._

_She is breathing heavily, making it very difficult for her to focus on the path ahead. She is scared and has no idea where her fellow teammates are. She turns down another corridor, one that has the foul stench of death in the air. The collection of blood on the floor is so great, that each step she takes creates a small splash. She _

_finally finds the source of the blood and nearly throws up at what she sees. An almost innumerable amount of lifeless bodies are hanging from the walls, held up by mere knives that have been driven through their skin. She covers her mouth as she coughs, the stench of rotting flesh is almost unbearable._

_She notices that a nearby door has been jarred open, but not by a human hand... She breathes heavily as she enters the new room. What was once some sort of observation platform is now a ruined death-field. Computer monitors and shards of broken glass cover the blood soaked carpets, creating a sickening squishing sound as she walks on it. As Krystal is looking around the room, a wave of terror sweeps through her as she senses death off in the distance._

_'Fox,' Krystal tells herself urgently. 'He's in danger!'_

_With a new-found display of inward courage, Krystal runs out of the other end of the decrepit room and through yet another hallway. When she runs for about two minutes, she sees a set of stairs that go up. What she glances at next causes her to cry out with disdain. A body, lifeless and all-too-familiar is pinned to the ceiling._

_"Wolf!" She screams loudly. "No!"_

_But she is too late, he's already dead. His body is gorged from head to toe, allowing fresh blood to drip towards the floor. Krystal barely has any time to mourn Wolf's _

_passing because within the next moment in time she hears a blood-chilling scream come from the top of the staircase. She recognized the voice immediately._

_"Fox!" She yells again as a repulsive sound fills the air._

_A head rolls down the stairwell. A haunting, gaping mouthed face stares at her with its recently murdered eyes._

_"Nooooo! Fox!" Krystal screams and cries, almost at the same time, unable to bare the tragedy of what has just occurred._

_Filled with a sense of urgency and dread, she runs up to the next level and sees Nikki facing her. Her hands are covered in blood, as is her black coat, but it is not her own._

_"Nikki..." Krystal cries out with tears abundant around her eyelids. "Please tell me that you didn't do this!"_

_However, Nikki is unable to respond. Because within the next moment in time, blood seeps out of her mouth as she falls to the floor, a dagger has been lodged in the __back of her head. An even larger aura of hostility fills the air as Krystal observes Fox's headless body. She screams as loud as she can and falls to her knees, an immense feeling of betrayal and sadness starts to grow inside of her heart. When she looks up again, she sees two familiar figures standing before her. One of them is laughing, while the other one has a slightly disappointed look in his eyes._

_"N-no..." She shudders tearfully. "You two did this? I... I don't understand. Why would you betray us?!"_

_"Time for you to meet your maker Krystal," One of the traitors scoffs as he draws his blaster. "You'll never stop the new galactic order. You and your pathetic friends have failed. This is the end of all hope for you..."_

_The hallway begins to fade and shimmer with a red hue as a blaster shot rings through her ears..._

* * *

Krystal wakes up in a panic as she jolts up from her bed, screaming at the top of her lungs and wiping her tear-filled eyes. Fox, who was sleeping in a bed in another corner, is suddenly wide awake as he turns to face Krystal.

"Are you alright?" Fox says as his heart starts to race. "What's wrong?"

Krystal, still shaking from head to toe, barely manages to whisper, "I had the nightmare again. Only this time... it was worse. Much worse."

She then explains her brutal dream to Fox, telling him every small detail that she can remember. When she is finishes her vivid description, he is both saddened and horrified at what she has just told him.

"Maybe it was just a bad dream that was brought on by our recent trauma," Fox reasons in an effort to comfort his girlfriend.

"No," Krystal counters quickly, with an almost forceful tone. "I've had the same nightmare on four separate occasions in the last week. Although tonight was the first time that I made it through the whole thing. It's going to happen Fox, unless we stop it. Nikki, Wolf... you and me... we'll all be dead. And _they_ will be victorious."

Fox's eyes start to water with a mixed feeling of guilt and sorrow. "You're confident that this will happen? It seems impossible for him to turn on us..."

"Yes I am sure Fox," Krystal responds truthfully. "My mother apparently had the same gift. She was able to prolong the life of Cerinia for a very long time because of the mental images that she received. Until the one time that she failed at stopping it. Fox... we must take action. We have to stop _him_ right now."

Fox stands up and begins pacing around the room, muttering to himself.

After a few minutes he sighs deeply and says, "If it's still in the distant future then maybe he hasn't been corrupted yet. Maybe... I can still save him before his wrong inclinations overtake his heart. I'll keep a close eye on him from now on..."

"Thank you," Krystal says as she wipes the last of her tears and lays back down on her bed again. "I'm exhausted...

"Okay, I'll let you rest," Fox comforts with a light tone as she drifts off into a peaceful sleep.

Once he's positive that she is indeed asleep, he leaves the small room and enters the _Great Fox II_'s main corridor. He almost bumps into Diego on his way to the main control room.

"Is Krystal alright?" Diego asks concernedly. "I thought I just heard a scream come from your room."

"She's fine," Fox comments as he scratches his ear. "She just had another bad dream. Probably from all the stress."

"I'll bet." Diego remarks as he tries to change the subject. "By the way Slippy has finally found a lead. Dante has resurfaced, he's been spotted on Macbeth. We're heading there now. Maybe he'll lead us to Gatorbile."

"Macbeth..." Fox states, slightly confused. "What could Dante possibly be doing there?"

"That is what we intend to find out," Falco responds as he enters the hallway and walks beside Diego. "He could be planning another scheme. We need to bring him in for questioning. We also need to insure that he doesn't harm anyone."

"Alright... it sounds like you two have thought this out pretty well." Fox compliments after hesitating for a split second. "Get some rest, we'll need all our strength to ensure that Dante doesn't escape."

Falco and Diego both nod approvingly, almost at the same time, as they head off to their individual sleeping quarters. As soon as they're both out of his sight, Fox rubs his forehead as he braces his back against the interior wall and slides down to the floor. He puts his hands over his eyes and begins to sob lightly. He knew that he'd have to act quickly if he was to stop the horrific future that Krystal foresaw. But how could he turn on one of his most trusted comrades with no proof of his malcontent? How could he bring himself to murder one of his most trusted allies in order to save everyone else in the galaxy?

Deep down, Fox knew the answer to those questions. He couldn't. Even though he had made a promise to Krystal, he would not be able to fulfill it. All he could do was to be ready. Ready for the moment that would change his life forever. _Then_ he'd be able to stop the cataclysmic events to follow... or die trying.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Talosmar space, a sinister presence is looming in over the planet. For the past few months, thousands of Talosmarians have being summoned by the numerous national governments. They've been assigned to build a massive military base, one that orbits their world at a steady rate, much like a moon. It is nearing its completion. And soon... very soon... it will be ready. Ready to unleash a horror upon the universe that is far greater than anyone has ever seen...

A small fighter, black and slightly unsettling in its hue, flies through a massive hanger door that opens and seals within a few brief seconds. A terrifying figure, with the smell of death still abundant in the air around him, jumps out of the ship. The hanger guards look at him fearfully, unable to make eye contact as he walks past them.

He walks up to a well guarded interior door and says. "Let me through. The General has requested my presence."

"Y-Yes. of course Scarr. Go right on in." The low ranked grunt stutters with a hesitant phrase as he types a ten-digit access code into a nearby keypad.

The door slides open, revealing a very spacious elevator behind it. He enters it as he chuckles softly, amused by the terrorized soldiers around him. The doors slam shut as he crosses his arms in front of him and waits. The elevator seems to go on up for miles, but he eventually reaches his destination. The doors open up once again and he enters a circular hallway. The walls are adorned with a reddish metal, while the floors are made out of some kind of darkened goes down the luxuriously decorated hallway for a few more minutes before entering another room in the interior circle of the hallway. A savage beast, an evil life-form in every sense of the word is relaxing on a darkened throne. Barely able to breathe on his own, whose life is dependent on circuits and computer chips rather than blood. Eyes that are glowing with the same yellowish tint as the Strattus sun and skin as dark as the very depths of Tartarus itself. almost half of his body is completely burnt, shredded or scarred. It almost looks like someone twisted his skin from the inside out.

Scarr kneels down in front of his leader as he makes his report. "I have returned my master. Frank Cassidy is dead. He'll no longer be a threat to our plans. Also the Cornerian weapon field test was successful, as expected."

"Excellent." The overlord says with a slightly mechanical, yet very sinister voice. "Things are going quite well for you Scarr. What can you tell me about Gatorbile and his mission to kill Star Fox?"

"I... have heard nothing of his status general." Scarr replies, while showing no fear. "My mission didn't involve babysitting that pathetic excuse for a commander..."

"We have him sire." A nearby voice of someone who just entered the room says confidently.

Scarr turns around to see two familiar faces staring at him. A black hawk and a Siberian tiger. Both of them are holding onto a third, unconscious alligator. His face is covered in dried blood and his hands are bound with chains. His arm is still dripping from his recent stab wound.

"Gatorbile failed in his mission, so we did what you told us to do." The buff feline says as he laughs. "The poor bastard fainted after we tortured him too much on the way over here."

"Thank you Cyrus..." The general nods appreciatively. "You and Dante did well. Leave Gatorbile with me and ask Eva to come in here. After my little 'presentation', you may come back in. Be sure to bring Scourge and Kao Chang with you. I will tell you all what you must do if we are to succeed."

After everyone leaves Gatorbile in the room with their leader, he pulls off his cloak. A cybernetic, metallic arm grabs onto him by the neck and injects a chemical compound into his neck. Within nanoseconds, he wakes up, screaming with pain and confused as to his whereabouts. He glances over to see his boss standing above him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." His master sneers wickedly. "Enjoy your last few breathes of fresh air. You won't have many more of them."

"Please... Scales... don't... kill me..." Gatorbile trembles greatly as he coughs and falls to the floor.

"I'm not going to kill you." He roars again, almost more inhuman than before. "_She_ will."

Gatorbile is barely able to muster the strength to turn around as he sees his future killer standing in front of him. A female panther, young, beautiful and wearing a white uniform is shocked to see his face.

"Here he is Eva!" Scales shouts, almost triumphantly. "I've done exactly what I promised you. I've brought you Kobi's killer. I thought you'd like the honor of slaying him yourself."

Gatorbile, knowing that he's about to die, turns to face Scales one last time. "You _knew_ this would happen. You prevented me from succeeding. You knew that Nikki would come after me didn't you?"

Unfortunately for him, that was the last thing that he would ever say. Without even flinching, Eva throws a morning star from her belt and it slices directly through his back, shattering his spine inward and causing bone shards to rip through his vital organs. Blood pours from his mouth as he falls face-first to the ground.

"I want to thank you for catching this madman." Eva speaks with a warm, but slightly hostile voice as she removes her instrument of death from Gatorbile's back. "I've been trying to hunt him down ever since he killed... Kobi."

"So..." Scales growls lightly, "I have your allegiance now, as we agreed?"

"Of course... I'd do anything for this act of kindness that you've bestowed upon me," she responds honestly.

"Good," Scales laughs lightly. "I'll need you to go to Sauria. I'll need your skills as a thief. There's some old ruins there, known as 'The Earthwalker Temple.' It's located in a heavily guarded area known as 'Walled City.' Concealed within the temple are three, very precious gems. You'll have to bring them to me. Try not to get caught, the Saurians won't let their sacred stones go very easily."

"May I ask you why you need them?" Eva asks curiously.

Scales simply smiles and says. "To save the Lylat system of course. With your help, we will succeed in bringing peace to our shattered galaxy."

Eva, nodding with approval, simply states. "I will leave at once General. I will not fail you."

With that, Eva leaves the control room, completely unaware that she is being used. After a few more minutes, the rest of Scales' newest commanders enter the room Five of them, each of them execute brutal tactics and well trained fighting styles to the highest level possible. Most important of all, they are loyal for one cause. They're bound together by one thought. Revenge.

Cyrus, a tiger crime-lord and bounty hunter from Galloria. His muscles are broad and he usually prefers to wear nothing except for his leather vest and cargo pants. He has a yellow bandanna with his gang's insignia engraved on it and an eye patch over his right socket. The number of innocents that he has slain over the years is said to number in the tens of thousands. He prefers to let his fists do the talking, he would like nothing more than to see Star Fox killed. He was captured long ago, but thanks to a certain corrupt official, he was released from his decrepit cell.

Scales' second in command is a man by the name of Dante. A vile, treacherous black hawk who's known for his nasty interrogation tactics and rude hand gestures. For years, he worked in the Cornerian government as a spy for Scales. That's how he was able to find out the location of anything and everyone. That is, until Gatorbile broke his cover and escaped from a highly secure mental institution. But, that was what Scales had ordered him to do. And ironically enough, he felt relieved when he was no longer "undercover." He didn't feel tense all the time, he felt free as a bird, so to speak. He was now completely able to do the work that his master commanded. He didn't have to be afraid of anything or anyone. In his mind, no one could stop him.7

Scourge is a mysterious, self-centered psychopath to put it bluntly. His fur is scruffy and gray while his eyes are radiant with a twisted orange glow. He's a rodent who prefers to keep his private matters to himself. Roughly six months ago, he engaged in a dual with General Pepper that resulted in his former master being killed. He himself lost his hands, but they were quickly replaced thanks to the power of cybernetic technology. Now they look like bone, metallic marrow. He chose the design himself, because when he wears his hooded cloak, he bears a striking resemblance to the grim reaper. He is in fact, a modern-day harbinger of death, except instead of killing people with a scythe, he prefers to slice them in half with his laser-sword. Crafted long ago by an evil race, he brought it with him from his home planet. He taught Scarr how to wield one and now they are both exceptionally powerful, able to use telekinetic energy while barely blinking an eye.

Kao Chang is the oldest of the five. He's a a badger, his hair is long and silvery and his fur is covered in patches of gray from old age. He was once a very powerful and influential man. He ran a dojo on Talosmar and used it as leverage to cover-up his "unwholesome" dealings with the Talosmarian government. More recently, he closed down his previous place of employment and he was never caught. Mostly because he burnt his own fighting school down and all the evidence of his malevolent dealings with terrorists was subsequently destroyed.

And of course, last but definitely not the least, we have Scarr. He's Scales' most effective soldier, able to execute any order perfectly and without mercy. He prides himself on his battle skills and finesse. He was found in an ancient saurian temple, he had lived there longer than he could remember. No one knows how he got there or why, but he's the only black sharpclaw in the galaxy. Every other one, if they ever existed, have become a lost legendary race. His age is unknown, but he claims that he's immortal. The entrance to the relic that he was found in was sealed off from the outside world, probably for a few thousand years or so. He is extremely reckless and brutal in his tactics, surpassing the brutality of almost everyone around him.

Once they've all gathered in the room, Scales begins to issue orders. "Cyrus and Scourge. I need you to go to Fortuna. Seek out the ruins of Dullahan, located on the continent known as Anemos. There's a stone tablet there that I require. Kill everyone in your way and leave no witnesses."

"Of course... heh," Cyrus grins cunningly. "I shall enjoy ripping apart those foolish monks."

Cyrus turns to leave, Scourge follows without saying a word.

Scales then turns his attention to Scarr and Dante.

"I have another target for you Scarr," He says as he holds a data drive in his robotic hand. "This will tell you everything you need to know. Dante, you will provide back-up. I'm sure I can trust you two with this."

"Yes master," Scarr speaks fluidly as he stands up again. "I will not fail you."

As soon as he grabs his data, Dante follows closely behind him as he speaks, barely above a whisper. "Have you taken care of Star Fox?"

"Yes," Scarr laughs in a twisted manner. "Thanks to the false information that our man on the inside has planted, they think that you're on Macbeth. They're fools who don't know what they are getting into. They will all die on that toxic planet... I've already made the arrangements."

"What if Scales wants to capture them alive?" Dante questions as they both enter the elevator. "You may involk his wrath."

Sadly for him, the question goes unanswered.

As the door closes Scarr scoffs as he thinks. '_He already made that mistake once. Scales is a damn fool and I will not repeat his mistakes. Once we've gained control over the Lylat System I'll kill Scales myself. And I shall have domination over all life in this galaxy..._'

* * *

Nikki is flying through Talosmar's atmosphere. Her mind is slightly at ease now that she's within her safety net, so to speak. She discovered the planet's coordinates roughly five months ago, when she was exploring undocumented areas looking for small colonies of space pirates. She only succeeded in wiping out two of them, that was all she could find while on her own and within a month's time. Fortunately for her, within a week of establishing a life on Talosmar, she was approached by someone who offered her a job. One that would allow her to continue with her previous "work" while under the shroud of secrecy. She passed the initial examination trial's and she began a three month intensive training program. Now, for the past two months she has been working for the Talosmarian government. For a secret black-ops organization that only a few select officials even know about. Most would find her work appalling, but she feels its what she must do to keep her friends safe... to keep everyone safe from monsters that are hiding in their closets...

Nikki is flying towards a massive metropolis, one that's built on a coastal region. It looks quite different from most other cities that she's known. Almost all of the buildings are built out of concrete and glass instead of steel and the roads cover the ground with asphalt instead of towering a couple hundred feet into the air. All of the buildings themselves however, are massive skyscrapers, easily surpassing the beauty of others that would be found in Fichinan or Cornerian cities. Once she enters a specific, well-known sector, she descends into a small hanger which is adjacent to a towering one hundred and fifty-three story building. As she hops out of her small vessel, a familiar face approaches her. A gray fox, with slick hair and an oil-layered mechanic's uniform, smiles lightly and waves.

"Ahh, Nikki. You have returned," The young canine speaks with an almost cheerful tone. "How was your business trip to Galloria?"

"Hot and unpleasant," Nikki remarks as she laughs lightly, then turns to face her ship. "The outer flaps are a behaving oddly. Fix them and change the engine fluid please Ralph."

"That won't be a problem. I've got an hour left of my shift and nothing else to work on," The eager mechanic chuckles a bit.

Nikki starts to walk out of the hanger but turns to face Ralph and speaks in a soft manner. "How's your wife doing?"

"She's doing well, thanks for asking." He replies as he picks up a nearby wrench. "The cancer is almost completely gone and her doctor is very optimistic. We should to have you over for dinner sometime, once she's fully recovered."

"I'd like that." Nikki smiles. "I'll um... talk to you tomorrow okay? I have to report in."

"All right. I'll see you then. Your ship will be ready shortly." Ralph replies sincerely. "Have a good night."

"You too." She responds in a kind manner. "Take care."

Nikki then exits the hanger via a large back door that is installed on one side of the huge skyscraper. She enters the main lobby, which is supported by huge marble pillars that go up for about thirty feet. The floor is covered in black intricately woven carpet. She greets everyone around her, they all seem to know her by name. She enters an elevator that's situated in the middle of the room and types her destination into a nearby computer. It scans her ID card quickly, then almost instantly whooshes upward. After a couple of minutes, she exits the elevator and enters a hallway. Installed at the end of it is a huge, gridlocked door guarded by two sentry droids. She lets them scan her identification once again. After a quick beep of approval the doors slide open. When she first saw the inside of her new organization's headquarters, she was amazed. But now she barely bats an eyelash. Massive holoscreens cover the walls. Displaying either video surveillance feeds or the status of escaped fugitives. Numerous workstations are filled to the brim with people that are hard at working on whatever it is that they do. She doesn't greet or smile at anyone. Instead she walks rather quickly to a enclosed office and opens the door without even knocking.

The writing on the door says: "Director's Office."

The director, a older-than-average dingo with dull-colored hair, speaks with a surprised tone. "Nikki? How'd you get back so quick-"

"Cut the crap Darrell." Nikki interrupts with a rather pissed off tone. "Why'd you call me back here? Why did you bring me _out_ of the field? I nearly had the son of a bitch..."

"Look, I'll explain everything, just calm down." Darrell replies, a look of worry sweeps across his face.

"I'm not calming down until you tell me why the hell you summoned me back here!" Nikki yells, angrier than before, which draws the attention of her nearby co-workers.

He sighs deeply before he stands up and walks towards his door. He shuts it abruptly and rolls down his blinds.

"We have a mole." Darrell states worriedly. "He has put one of our agents in a very dangerous and compromising position. You need to extract her immediately and get her to a new safe-house."

Nikki is slightly stunned and confused, but she begins to calm down. "Why did you want me? Why not send someone else more experienced in this field?"

"Because you know her. And I don't trust anyone else right now." He explains as he hands Nikki a folder filled with documents.

She opens up the folder slowly, what she sees next shocks her to her very core. A picture of a middle-aged woman, vivid and very familiar stares back at her.

"Oh my god..." Is all that she can manage to say.

"Please Nikki..." Darrell almost begs with a tear in his eye. "Fran is my wife... I cannot lose her."

* * *

**Aut****hor's**** Note:** This chapter was quite fun to write. Most of the influences in this chapter are from Star Wars and the TV show "Heroes". Aside from that, most people who read it tell me that its probably the weakest chapter so far in part 2. And as the author, I agree. Nevertheless it cannot be cut or altered much, as it contains a lot of key info for future chapters. Anyway I hope you all enjoy reading it.


	6. Chapter 5: Descent into Enemy Territory

**Chapter 5: Descent into Enemy Territory**

* * *

Nikki is holding an paperback folder in her hands. Her mind still hasn't grasped the fact that what's inside it is real. After she paces around the room for about a minute, she drops the agent file onto her employer's desk and curses inside.

"How long has she been working for the organization?" She questions bitterly as she tries to keep a lid on her temper.

"She's been with us for nearly two decades now," Darrell responds casually as he puts the papers away. "She is one of our top undercover operatives."

"So..." She begins to reason. "When I was in the hospital-"

"Yes, we were watching you," He interrupts quickly. "You and your team were a threat to galactic security back then."

"A threat?!" Nikki nearly yells furiously. "I was bedridden for almost two months! I was _helpless_ at that time! I was nearly assassinated too."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you and your team were working _for_ Scales for several months prior to the latest Saurian War," Darrell carries on, almost scoffing. "You helped him gather vital classified information, which eventually lead a group of pirates to a top-secret prototype weapon. A weapon, that even I didn't know about before the incident above Corneria occurred. Like it or not Nikki, Star Wolf is our _enemy_. His team has been responsible for many warcrimes in the past and they've conspired with evil dictators. I won't be surprised if they do it again."

Nikki growls bitterly before speaking. "You promised to leave Wolf and his comrades out of this. That is the settlement that we agreed upon when I signed my contracts."

"That arrangement still stands, all of his past crimes have been nullified. Unless he strikes first, we will avoid him," Darrell replies in his official tone. "Now enough about that, you've got a job to do. You must go to the Green Lantern Hotel. Fran is staying in room three thirty one. You must find her and bring her back here. I don't know how long she'll be safe but I reckon that it won't be much longer. Don't trust any local law enforcement officers either. The local crime-lord, General Griffin, has bribed almost every single one of them. We will work on bringing him down after we ensure that my wife is safe. She has information that we will require. Lastly, take this suitcase, in contains three hundred thousand credits. I don't expect the damn fools to be honest in their deal, so you'll likely have to take them out. I don't care about the money... I'd pay alot more... just bring Fran back safely."

Nikki scoffs lightly as she turns around to leave.

Before she does however, she turns to face her boss again, "Just one thing Darrell, why do you trust _me_ of all people?"

"Because you're the best field agent we've got right now," He states truthfully. "And I know that you care about my wife almost as much as I do."

Nikki chuckles lightly before responding, "Don't worry, I'll bring her back alive... and in one piece. And I'll make for damn sure that this money doesn't get into the wrong hands."

She slams the door behind her, eager to get her current mission over with as soon as possible. She walks towards the main interior elevator, casually greeting the few people that pass her by. They're all acquaintances that she doesn't even recognize.

She didn't know what to feel. She felt hurt and betrayed, but also somewhat thankful and worried. She didn't want Fran to die. But how would she react upon seeing her for the first time in years? Nikki didn't know the answer... but she knew that she wouldn't fail. As soon as she enters the elevator, a recently unveiled memory that continues to resurface in bits and pieces sweeps across her mind.

* * *

_Burning trees. Smoldering grass. The sound of crackling fire is all that can be heard, along with faint screaming that sounds almost mute. Nothing else can be seen. Her vision was blurred and distorted, but she could deduce that she laying on the ground. A massive headache and a cramped arm was all that she could feel. She almost screamed with pain as she touched her forehead. Small drops of her own fresh blood covered her fingertips. As she tried to get herself up off the ground as she braced herself up against a hallow stump. A nearby solider in a red Venomian army uniform ran up towards her, bent down to her level and extended his hand toward her._

_"Doctor Grant," The hired gunman shouted as he lifted her to her feet and read her uniform's lapel. "Are you injured?"_

_"I'll be fine," She replies diligently as she becomes more attune to her surroundings. "What the hell happened?"_

_"Your convoy vessel was sshot down ma'am. You were headed for the Saurian base's medical bay when it was hit hard with ssome ssort of anti-air cannon. It brought you and your crew down here." He concluded as he gestured to the various bodies that were laying around her, along with a few of the surviving crew members._

_"What's the situation here?" Nikki ordered with a slightly bitter tone. "This place looks like a battlefield."_

_"We were attacked by a group of ssharpclaw renegadess," The Venomian commander responded sorrowfully. "We managed to repel their attack and eliminate most of them, but a few got away."_

_"They will most likely have reinforcements. We should extract these people to the base quickly," Nikki said with an urgent tone. "I have vital information that I need to get secured."_

_"Of course, as ssoon as we gather the ssurvivors my men will escort all of you. Don't you worry doc, my men and I have been through far worsse ssituations than thiss." He replied with honest diligence. "We'll get through this mess alive."_

_"What's your name?" Nikki asked politely as she retrieved a blaster from a mangled arm._

_"Commander Curtis Miller, at your sservice. Although my comrades jusst call me Curtis." He answered as he laughed under his breath._

_"It's nice to meet you... Commander."_

* * *

When Nikki's mind snaps back to reality she suddenly realizes that she's outside, walking along a concrete sidewalk. It's a warm Talosmarian summer night, a small copper tinted moon gleams off in the distant heavens. She stares at it with awe for a couple of seconds, before her mind focuses on her task once again.

'_Green Lantern Hotel... that's on the west side of the city,_' She reminds herself as she walks through the bustling streets. '_If I take the subway off of Lambert Avenue I should only be a block or so away._'

She blends in with the crowd perfectly as she enters a nearby metro tunnel, being careful not to draw to much attention to herself as she passes through a few "secure" areas. They are little more than a couple over-sized security personal that are stationed inside a small cubicle while they watch live feeds on holo-screens and eat god-only-knows-what. Through both of the checkpoints, the guards check her blasters and give them back to her, not even taking a second glance in her general direction. The cold concrete floor echoes underneath her boots as she enters a less crowded area near the subway tunnels. The underground train comes into the station and screeches to a halt. As she steps onto it, the memory that continues to haunt her thoughts pulsates through her veins.

* * *

_Nikki was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Never before today had she ever witnessed so much death, destruction and suffering. The fact that something or someone could be capable of such inhuman atrocities was beyond her line of thinking. Her muscles were also very sore, she felt like she could just tumble over with each daunting step. She nearly tripped over a tree branch, but Curtis caught her before she fell._

_"Are you okay?" Curtis empathized with his usual tone._

_"Yeah," Nikki replied. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. How much further is it?"_

_"Only about another mile left... It'ss just beyond that next hill," Curtis commented half-heartedly as he pointed off towards the distance._

_The sun was setting, which delivered a distinct blood-like tone to the evening sky. Nikki was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a distant but tremendously large roar shook the ground beneath her feet. It was followed by the sound of high-pitched screeching, which sounded like thousands of terrified souls screaming at the same time. Nikki covered her ears with disdain as she saw a small herd Thorntails run over the hill._

_"Get outta here!" One of the quadrupeds bellowed in Saurian. "It's too dangerous!"_

_What everyone saw next was terrifying. A organic yet slightly metallic claw shot out of the ground and sliced through one of the Thorntail's spines, killing it almost instantaneously. Several sharpclaws, cloaked in red robes came over the hill as well._

_"Slay them all..." One sharpclaw roared in Saurian as more robotic apparitions came up from the ground._

_"What the hell are those things?!" one of Curtis' men yelled at the top of his lungs. "And how the hell are the sharpclaws controlling them?"_

_"I don't know the answers to those questions but it doesn't matter," Curtis replied diligently. "Get these Thorntails and Venomian civilians to safety. Now! The rest of you, kill those bastardss!"_

_Nikki was suddenly surrounded by several large dinosaurs, with features that she'd never seen the likes of before. Curtis managed to take one down after a few shots, while some of his men shot at the sharpclaws._

_After discovering their weakness, he ordered his comrades, "Shoot them in their central eye! Disable them now!"_

_After about two more seconds, the elite military training that the Venomian soldiers received allowed them to easily destroy the remaining foes. They let out a sickly hissing noise as they powered down and stopped functioning. The few remaining sharpclaws fled back over the hill. After the initial surge of adrenaline left everyone breathless, they sighed with relief. After realizing the immense trauma that the Thorntails must have faced, Nikki turned her head to face one of them._

_"Can you tell us what happened here?" Nikki spoke fluently, in Saurian. "Do you know what these creatures are?"_

_"We haven't got a clue," The Thorntail replied in his native tongue. "Everything happened so fast. One moment we were just a'eatin' in da fields, then the next we were a' runnin' through 'em. Da 'claws jus came outta no'were. We lost over half of our herd in that plain near your base, then we came 'ver the hill and lost another. Although you already saw that.. Just before we got to the top of the hill, we saw another large creature... and a more 'claws enter yer base. You must 'urry if you are to save the rest of yer people..."_

_"All right." Nikki responded as she turned to face Curtis. "The Thorntail said-"_

_"I know what he said Doctor, thank you," he spoke with thoughtfulness, although a slight agitation could be detected within his eyes._

_"What are your orders sir?" One of the Venomian militants spoke with a slight hint of fear in his voice._

_"We go in and kill all of these cybernetic and renegade bastardss while trying to free as much civilianss as possible. Ten of you will stay here to protect these Thorntailss and Venomian researcherss. The resst of us will liberate our facility."_

_"Let me come with you," Nikki insisted. "I know how to use a blaster and a sword and I can treat anyone who is injured."_

_"It'll be a blood bath in there doctor... are you ssure that you're ready to face that?" Curtis said honestly but hesitantly._

_"Yes... I cannot just stay here and do nothing. Not while there's a chance that I can save at least one person's life in there," Nikki replied with diligence._

_"Fine..." Curtis reluctantly agreed as he handed her a spare blade. "Stay close to me and do not wander off on your own."_

_"Understood Commander..." Nikki stated. "I will follow your lead."_

* * *

When Nikki's memory stops flashing through her, she realizes that she's standing in front of the Green Lantern Hotel. It's a glorious building, made almost entirely out of a teal shaded material. As she enters the lobby, she sees luxurious carpeting and a few dazzling chandeliers that hang from the spacious ceiling. As she walks toward a nearby elevator a security guard walks towards her. He's quite scruffy and would be pretty intimidating to the average citizen.

"I'm sorry ma'am, no unauthorized civilians are allowed anywhere else besides the lobby." The security guard says as he notices her body armor. "I'm going to have to ask you to turn back."

"My name is Nikki, I think your boss is expecting me." Nikki comments casually as she holds up the armored case in her hand. "He's expecting me."

He speaks into a comm device on his wrist, then after a few seconds replies. "My apologies ma'am. You may go up to the third floor. If you are detected anywhere else on the premises my men will be forced to throw you out."

"Noted." Nikki states simply as she enters the elevator.

As soon as the doors close she draws one of her blasters, holding it firmly at her side. She presses a button on the control panel with a her right index finger as the elevator slowly rises. When it reaches the third floor however, the doors do not open. Instead the small lift grinds to a halt as the inner lights flicker and eventually turn off.

"Shit," She curses under her breath. "Well you cannot expect honesty with these criminals..."

She side-steps to the left, drops the case and braces herself against the wall as several blaster shots rip though the metallic door, leaving almost a dozen hollowed out holes in their path. During that time she draws her other gun.

"Is she dead?" She hears someone shout. "Gunther, go check."

"Why do I havta go an' check boss?" A second voice snorts.

"Because I'm gonna shove my blaster rifle right up your ass if you don't!" The first person snaps.

"Fair enough," The pig retorted. "Cover me boys!"

Nikki takes a deep breath as she hears the consistent thumping of footsteps. When they halt, she can smell the reeking stench of her opponent. His slow, gargling breathing can easily be heard. With her mind in complete focus, she begins with a swift back- kick aimed directly at one of the mangled doors. It flies off of its hinges almost instantly and slams into the pig's chest, knocking him clean off his feet. While dazed, he manages to get up onto one leg right before getting shot right between the eyes.

"The bloody bitch is still alive!" The criminal ringleader shouts. "Kill her before she reaches the traitor!"

Nikki dives into a nearby suite as blaster fire fills up the hallway. She hears someone running towards her, so she shoots a nearby fire extinguisher, causing it to explode within a small radius. The second henchmen in driven to a coughing fit as Nikki breaks her cover briefly and puts three shots through his chest. Seeing an open opportunity, a third gunman pulls his trigger. The laser grazes past her arm, barely missing her shoulder blade as it singes her overcoat. She yelps lightly, both from the slight pain and sudden shock as she falls back behind cover.

"I think I got her!" One of the thugs bellows as he chuckles.

'_No you haven't,_' Nikki replies bitterly in her head as she pulls a grenade off off her belt.

She tosses it into the hallway with her recently free hand and it explodes the instant it touches the floor, sending a loud alarm ringing thoughout the hotel. The remaining criminals scream and wither on the ground as Nikki enters the hallway, undaunted. She holsters one of her weapons, picks up the metallic case and begins to execute the remaining criminals. The only one she doesn't kill is their commander, a aqua-colored crocodile who is clutching his injured chest and bracing his back against a recently blown out wall. He stares at her and laughs menacingly.

"You have just cast your friend into the depths of the abyss..." He states simply as he coughs up blood and howls wildly again.

Nikki holds her blaster right in front of his snout before replying. "Tell me where she is and I will resist the urge to blow your brains out."

Her reply only causes him to laugh more hysterically than before. "Sure... go ahead and do that. Kill me. The instant you pull that trigger, you'll be killing almost every innocent soul in this hotel. It'd also be impossible for you to get out of here alive."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nikki demands hastily as the warm barrel of her blaster is pressed harder against his forehead.

He tears his shirt apart, revealing a complex mechanical device attached to his chest. A number is displayed in green.

"Do ya see this?" He coughs quietly as he squeals with insane laughter once again. "This is a remote detonator. It is keeping track of my heartbeat. If the counter goes to zero, boom, it'll go off. I'm bleeding out. You don't got much time left. Tick-tock."

Nikki identified his problem right away. a small shard of a plank was lodged in his abdomen. She could get it out and stop the bleeding, but it'd take nearly a half hour or so. Even so did she really want to help this piece of trash? She didn't of course, but she feels as though the stakes are too high. She couldn't risk the deaths of innocents on her hands... not again. Not after her Cornerian mission for Star Wolf led to the deaths of thousands.

Without saying a word in response, Nikki punches the lowlife thug in the face, knocking him out cold. She lifts him into a nearby guest room and practically throws him onto a luxuriously lavish bed. She quickly braces almost everything in the room against the door, ensuring that no ordinary person could open it, at least for awhile. She finds some bandages, needles and street drugs in the bathroom and thread and some crude materials that would suffice as basic surgical tools in a nearby dresser. He'd be in a lot of pain when he woke up, but she isn't concerned about his comforts or health within the next few days. She only needs him to survive temporarily. In order to do that, she has to remove the cause of the bleeding and stop it. She sticks the needle into his neck, which was filled with an illegal substance, and injects it into his system.

'_If nothing else,'_ She thinks bitterly, '_this shit will reduce is heart rate and slow down his blood loss. I must be quick. Who knows how long it'll take for more thugs or the police to show up."_

As she preforms her first 'surgical procedure' in years, the violent memory of that day on Sauria continues to pulse through her sub-conscious mind.

* * *

_When Nikki reached the outer perimeter of the Venomian base, she was appalled by what she saw. From her viewpoint she could see all the destruction that had taken place. Bodies and pools of blood littered the landscape in front of her. Smoke was still rising from the base and trees were smoldered and alit with fresh coals. It was as though she had walked through the gate of the underworld itself. She was almost brought to tears, but held onto her composure when Curtis placed his hand on her shoulder as a subtle way to assure her that everything would be okay. As she continued to gaze off into the horizon, she overheard Curtis talking to his men, a pit-bull and a blue colored chameleon._

_"Barret, you and your squad will secure the southern entrance," Curtis ordered without delay. "Miles, I want you to take your men to take the east entrance beneath the station's reservoir. You'll be our backup. My team will cover the main entrance and lead the assault."_

_"Understood Commander," Barret and Miles replied officially._

_"Move out!" Barret shouted to his comrades, "Let's show these robotic bastards that we mean business!"_

_Nikki followed closely behind Curtis' squad, blaster in her hands and a blade at her side. She received the standard training that was provided by the Venomian government, but this is the first time that she's been in a hostile situation where she could use it. As they ran through the battlefield and approached, antagonizing screaming could be heard, as well a voice of a hostile target bellowing out orders._

_"Slaughter them!" A sinister voice roared out, in Saurian. "Let none escape alive!"_

_Almost within the next moment in time, nearly two dozen cybernetic lifeforms tore through the soil, allowing their true form to be revealed. The gaze of their blood-red eyes seemed to strike fear into everyone. Their talons were sharp and darkened as the night sky. They cried out with a sickening roar as they ran towards Curtis' comrades. Curtis and his men yelled back as they fought the beasts. Countless shrieks and outcries could be heard as the combatants fell on both sides. Over half of Barret's team was wiped out as the battle dragged on. Barret himself tried to counter these heavy losses by yelling at the top of his lungs as he picked up a fractured claw off of the battlefield and began to mercilessly cut through his opponents. His rampage ended about twenty seconds later, when his defenses recklessly fell as a massive foe that thrust its talons into his chest. He struggled violently as he was lifted into the air and decapitated with the fiend's free limb._

_The monstrosity shifted its eyes towards Nikki, her face pale with horror. She tried to shoot it, but the laser missed entirely as she seemed to forget her training out of fear. The Cyborg growled as it slowly walked towards her, almost in a taunting manner. She couldn't scream, her throat was too dry. She began to take a few steps back as she tripped over a branch and tumbled to the ground. The creature began to extend its talons towards her, when a blaster shot rang through the air._

_"Nikki!" Curtis shouted as he fired his rifle again. "Get the hell outta there!"_

_The large cyborg grasped its injured joint as it staggered backward, giving Nikki a chance to run out of its range. It flailed its arm wildly a split second later, realizing afterward that its prey had ran to safety. The steel menace hissed with anger as Curtis ordered his squadron to focus their attacks on it. It finally went down with a bang as its right leg was destroyed by a grenade. It squirmed and withered within the blood-soaked mud as Curtis put one final laser to its "skull". The remaining Venomian troops, breathed a quick sigh of relief._

_"It's not over yet boys," Curtis applauded his crew before pointing out more serious matters. "We still have to secure the building. Miles, you cover our rear. I'll lead the main assault."_

_"Understood sir." Miles spoke with a lack of enthusiasm. "I just hope that we don't run into any more of these 'things' inside."_

_"I hope not either," Curtis replied with a worried overtone. "But we must sstay together and sso that we're ready for anything."_

_Nikki simply nodded her head with agreement. She'd found a new source of courage that seemed to well up from inside her soul. She picked up her weapon and followed Curtis as she shook the dirt off of it._

_As they got closer and closer to the base, they could hear the voices of their enemies becoming ever clearer._

_"They're still coming," one renegade remarked in his native tongue. "They've defeated all of our Ak-mu-sai prototypes!"_

_Another voice, deep and intimidating, yelled out. "Hold your positions you maggots! Take them down by any means necessary! They mustn't reach the hive."_

_However, for the sharpclaw henchmen that were lurking outside of the compound's main entrance, it was already too late. Their numbers were quickly decimated, leaving nothing behind except for disfigured remains. Their leader, who's identity was concealed with a black hood, began to flee deeper into the facility. A few seconds later, Curtis and Miles kicked down the entrance doors. They entered quickly and scanned the numerous rooms. Nikki followed suit, stepping cautiously into an unknown room. She could have sworn that she heard someone crying. A moment or two later, she heard another outcry._

_"Someone's still alive!" A nearby solider shouted. "White-scaled female. Her leg is badly wounded. Get the doctor in here! Quickly!"_

_Nikki ran with all the speed that she could muster. Within a moment she was staring at her. Her eyes were wet from crying but she didn't say a word. Blood was beginning to pool around her leg._

_When Curtis saw her, he recognized her instantly and cried out. "Shannon! What are you doing here?"_

_Nikki knelt down beside her and put on a pair of latex gloves as Shannon replied through pain. "I was... summoned here. Someone told us to come..."_

_"Who?" Curtis questioned as he nearly wept._

_"I... I don't know," She responded hesitantly as Nikki placed a sterile gauze pad on her wound, before covering it with an elastic bandage._

_"Where iss Ferry?" Curtis said worriedly. "Did you leave him with the sitter?"_

_"Yes I did. Gahh..." Shannon complained as a needle was inserted into her leg. "What was that for?"_

_"It's a hemostatic compound. It will stop the internal bleeding," Nikki replied with a serious tone as she turned to face Curtis. "Her leg may be broken Commander. She needs to be extracted to a Venomian hospital for proper treatment."_

_Curtis nodded for a second, before directing his head towards his right-hand sergeant. "Miles, take a ship from the docking bay. It's close by, just straight down the hallway so you shouldn't have any trouble with finding it."_

_"But commander I-" Miles spoke quickly before getting interrupted._

_"Do as I ssay!" Curtis shouted with tears in his eyes. "My wife needs to live through thiss. I cannot raise our sson on my own."_

_Nikki almost gasped at hearing the truth, although it should have been rather obvious to her that Shannon and Curtis were married._

_"Yes... I'm sorry commander," Miles replied as one of his men brought an intact bed from a nearby medical ward. "Get her onto here men, our primary objective now is to protect and extract the injured civilian."_

_"We'll cover you." Curtis encouraged as his fellow officers lifted Shannon up carefully onto the mobile stretcher._

_Once she was secured, the group kept moving again. It only took them about ten minutes to reach the hanger. They only ran into a few straggler renegades along the way which were very easy for them to handle. When they reach their destination, they find a couple of intact convoy vessels. Miles entered one of them, along with four of his men and they managed to take off without any further incidents. This left Curtis with less than a dozen men, including Nikki herself, to track down and capture the mysterious sharpclaw leader._

_As they were about to leave the hanger however, an explosion tore through the air, knocking everyone off of their feet. Nikki could hear the shouts of her comrades as they fired off their weapons wildly at incoming hostiles. She got up a few seconds later, after-which she noticed that the hanger was all-but destroyed. A big cloud of ash and dust was beginning to clear around a large hole to a wall about sixty feet away. Everyone stared at a shadowy figure standing in the midst of the debris. As it cleared, his black scaled skin, along with his blood-red eyes were clearly visible. He grinned with an unsettling gaze as he raised his left hand. Three of Curtis' subordinates were lifted into the air. Nikki almost screamed with terror as they were torn apart in mid-air and cast to the ground. The remaining troops tried to fire their weapons at their mysterious foe but were swindled when the earth opened up beneath them. They tried to run away, but they were held in place as the whole hanger continued to shake. The roof itself split open as the remaining soldiers fell into the deep chasm, their cries eventually faded out completely as shards of rock and metal continued to fall._

_Curtis and Nikki were the only ones that were left. He stood in front of her, blaster rifle in hand, as their recent nemesis laughed and walked towards them._

_"Is this it?" He cackled. "Is this what the great Venomian elite soldiers have become since I left you in charge of it Curtis?"_

_It was at that moment that Curtis recognized his tone instantly. "Chief Commander Scarr? What the hell? Why have you committed these atrocities against our people?!"_

_"You know him?" Nikki questioned as she met his gaze. "I-I don't understand."_

_"He was the head of my squadron. He trained me... he trained all of uss. And now he's gone rogue!"_

_"No," Scarr replied defensively. "I'm on your side you pathetic moron."_

_"What the hell are you talking about?" Curtis spat bitterly. "You attacked this facility. You almost killed my wife! You killed my remaining troops!"_

_"A necessary loss," Scarr lamented, without showing a hint of regret. "I've only done what I've had to do in order to keep the citizens of the Lylat System safe."_

_"You're not making any sense," Curtis yelled again. "I should kill you now for what you've done to the Saurians and Venomians on this day."_

_"I haven't killed anyone besides the traitorous members of your squad," Scarr spoke with a bit of guilt once again. "Let me explain. A few years ago, we built this facility. But it wasn't to be used as a simple diplomatic embassy. No, the Saurians needed our presence here. For they discovered something that could be the doom of us all, a hive if you will. It was filled with thousands of yellow-encrusted, egg-shaped embryos. At least, that's what we think they were. There was nothing else besides fossils, except for a few which had 'hatched'. They were small cybernetic parasites, which latched onto their victims and took over their higher willpower. I was sent here, I eliminated the hatching parasites and those who were infected. We built this place in order to cover-up this secret. However, some Venomian scientists brought up several of the fossilized remains to the surface to study them. a couple days ago, we were attacked and the facility was left in ruins."_

_"If all this is the truth then why didn't you send a distress call?" Curtis pondered sincerely. "Why did you order your men to wipe out my whole god-damn squad?!"_

_"I didn't." Scarr retorted with an insulted tone. "Their minds were poisoned by the Ak-mu-sai, as we call them. I had no control over their actions. I killed your squad in here because I had no other choice. They would have thought that I was a traitor and would have killed me, while also unleashing these parasites into the universe."_

_"You're lying," Nikki blurted out. "I can see it in your eyes. You wiped this facility out in order to cover up your little scheme. Then you killed all the reinforcements in order to save your own ass. Which begs the question. Why haven't you killed us yet?"_

_Scarr simply stared at her before he spoke, "You're a smart one Doctor Grant... too smart for your own well being."_

_Nikki pulled the trigger on her blaster as Scarr leapt into the air. The laser grazed his arm as he growled and drew a slender sword. He turns his gaze to face Nikki as Curtis tackled Scarr, sending the sword clattering to the ground. The two rolled along the ground, punching at each other. Scarr eventually gains the upper hand between them, climbing unto Curtis and pinning him to the cold floor. Just when Scarr raised his right hand, Nikki swung her blade with a loud cry. It cut a deep gauge through his back as he snarled. Jumping up off of Curtis, he kicked Nikki so hard that she flew across the room, dropping her sword and blaster. She landed on the metallic floor with a thud. She groaned and shifted on the hard surface as Scarr walked menacingly towards her. She drew a small pocket knife from her boot and held the blade weakly in the air. The look of terror was evident on her face Scarr picked up her blaster with his powerful mind and aimed it at her head._

_He simply scoffed as he saw her holding the small weapon, "You are one dumb bitch, bringing a knife to a gunfight."_

_Nikki nearly gasped as she pressed a button on the small hilt, which fired the blade of the knife with blazing speed. Scarr's eyes barely had anytime to act surprised as the blade pierced the vein on his neck. He tried to scream, but couldn't as blood had already filled up his esophagus__. He simply let out a gargling noise as he fell to the ground, dead a few seconds later. Curtis was baffled at her cunning tactic, but he said nothing as he helped her to her feet. Nikki was in shock as she saw what she'd done. Blood was pooling around Scarr's upper body at a fairly rapid rate._

_"Come on... let's get out of here." Curtis spoke comfortingly. "We'll send an extermination team to take care of those... things."_

_As Nikki's memory faded, the whole facility shook once again as a massive screeching noise was heard. Nikki could have sworn that she saw a giant insect-like creature fly through the atmosphere..._

* * *

Nikki's gloves are covered in blood, but it's not her own. She has just removed the cause of the bleeding in her "patient" and sealed the wound, both inside and out, if abit crudely. Now she's waiting for him to wake up. She is surprised that no outside visitors have tried to come in. Although with the police sirens blaring outside she knows it'll only be a matter of time. She eventually grows tired of waiting, so she slaps the pirate commando across the face, causing him to awake with a scream.

"Wake up you pudgy bastard." Nikki comments rhetorically.

He groaned as he tried to move, but realized that he was tied down onto the bed, with his wound sowed shut.

"What in the hell do you want bitch?" The criminal spits and curses as he struggles to break free.

"I want Fran Burstop," Nikki simply states. "You tell me where she is, I'll let you live."

"She's in the basement," The crocodile says with an honest tone. "She should still be there, bound by chains with bombs hidden in the area around her. You should be able to get inside through a hidden trapdoor underneath the elevator shaft."

Nikki could tell, based on his facial psychology, that he was telling the truth.

"Thanks," She simply replies as she punches him in the face again, "filthy bastard..."

She ties him up, lifts him off of the bed and takes him into the bathroom. She places him in the tub facedown, and prepares to leave the room. She hears muffled footsteps outside, but she's not sure if they're cops or thugs. She begins to pull down her barricade of furniture, being sure to make as much noise as possible. Within a few seconds there's a knock on the door.

"Police!" Someone shouts. "Open up the door now!"

'_Well... shit.'_ She remarks to herself.

She begins to make a crude mask from the bedsheets that aren't soaked with blood, making sure to cover up her identifying features. Within the next few seconds the door is bashed in and she sees at least 4 officers standing in front of her. She blitzes past two of them, knocking them to the ground. The other two begin to aim their shots, but she uses her disarming skills on both policemen, causing them to tumble to the floor. She continues to run towards the broken elevator. She tears off the other door and crouches down. Using her immense strength, and with some strain, she begins to slowly pull up the elevator.

"She's getting away!" She hears a officer shout. "Stop her!"

With all the power she can muster, she lifts the elevator just enough so that she can slip under it. She barely makes it through as the extremely heavy metal cube falls back down again, her quivering fingers holding onto the underside of the lift.

"She's trying to escape through the elevator shaft!" A muffled voice yells. "Get those lobby doors open now!"

'_The cops should easily be able to find the suitcase and the criminal along with it.'_ Nikki reasons. '_By the time they figure out he has some kind of bomb device on his chest I should be long gone. __I just need to find Fran and get the hell out of here.'_

Nikki makes her way down the pitch black shaft as quickly as she can. At the bottom of it, surely enough, is a moderately hidden trapdoor. Nikki opens it easily, not noticing if it was locked or unlocked, and shuffles her way inside. She finds herself in a spacious room, which is packed with various stored materials. Shelves around her are arranged in such a way that seems like its intentionally a maze.

She takes a miniature flashlight out of her pocket and begins to look around. After only a few seconds though, she hears someone draw a blaster. Within an instant she turns off her light source and crouches as several beams of plasma ignite the wall behind her.

"The traitor has a friend!" She hears some thug shout. "Bring me her head!"

Nikki closes her eyes briefly and takes a deep breath, allowing herself to take in her surroundings. From the sounds of the footsteps around her, she calculates that at least five henchmen are moving towards her. Stealthily, she sweeps her body around a corner as she sees her first potential target, a canine with a blaster, scanning the room closely for any signs of her.

'_I don't have time for this...'_ Nikki tells herself as she quickly moves towards her foe.

With a swift sweeping kick, the thug falls to the ground, and doesn't even have time to shout as Nikki uses all of her strength to smash his face into the concrete floor, creating a mess of flesh and bone. A few more blaster shots fill the room as Nikki grabs her own weapon and fires three shots in quick succession, downing two more of her opponents.

The third criminal begins to run for the only door in the room, but he is shot surprisingly, not by Nikki but by his own leader.

"Freaking cowards..." The muscular pig snorts as he grabs Fran by the hair.

He puts a knife to her throat as Nikki aims her specialized blaster directly at the thug's head.

"Let her go." Nikki states with an official tone.

"I'm no coward." The pig retorts as he tightens the grip on Fran's throat.

"I never claimed as such." Nikki counters, bluffing slightly. "I have the ransom money with me. Three hundred thousand credits... enough for you to leave this damn planet for good and start a new life somewhere else. It can all be yours if you drop the damn knife. However if you kill her, I will take my money... and you will die. Your call."

The swine ponders for a few seconds and a slight smirk appears on his face. "Three hundred thousand? Damn... my boss claimed it was ten thousand..."

With the knife safely away from Fran's throat for a fraction of a second due to the ringleader's wandering thoughts, Nikki takes her shot, which sends a river of blood flooding through the air. The thug lands with a sickening crash as Fran falls to the ground, quivering and wet from the stream of tears falling from her eyes. Her clothes are torn and bloody, her hair is ragged but she was alive and physically uninjured.

"Come on." Nikki states as she kneels down next to Fran. "We need to leave, now. The police will have the building surrounded in less than a minute."

Despite her words, Fran continued to cry, not moving or acknowledging Nikki's presence in the slightest. With a deep sigh, Nikki lifts Fran over her shoulder with ease and kicks down the exit door in front of them. She proceeds onto the street, breaks into a nearby hovercraft that looks like it hasn't been washed in years and places Fran into the backseat. The security system was pisspoor at best, and within seconds they are driving along the highway. Nikki takes out her cellphone and dials a number. After only a few rings, Darrel picks up on the other end.

"It's me." Nikki simply says. "I've got the package and it's in perfect condition, on my way to you right now. Be there in ten. Yes, the payment was also delivered successfully and is now in the hands of a third party. You're welcome sir, bye."

With those words, Nikki turns off her communication device and sighs. It had been a exciting night, and besides her slightly wounded shoulder, she came through unscratched. Fran was alive... the mission was successful. And that was all that mattered.


End file.
